


Season Zero

by JoeyTaylor



Series: Ennead [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Gen, Manga Based, ennead, fem!Yugi, gender bend, genderflip, oneesan, saved from fanfic.net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-12-25 18:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 129,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12041688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoeyTaylor/pseuds/JoeyTaylor
Summary: After working on the Puzzle that her Grandfather gave her for eight years, Yugi finally managed to complete it. What she couldn't know was how much trouble one little trinket could cause…





	1. Solving the Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> So… new series. Yugi's a girl, inspired by the fact that I found out that Atem is in fact commonly used as a girl's name. Yes I am aware of the fact that mythology states that there was an Atem who was the father of Bast, but once my brain had started ticking, well… here you go.
> 
> I'm saving this fic from fanfiction.net so I don't lose it forever if I get locked out of my account again. Hope you guys like it, it's going to be going up twice a week.
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You coming, Yugi?"

Yugi looked up from the card house she was working on and shook her head at the tall teen in the doorway. She had no intention of joining the guys in playing basketball. Not only was she really bad at boy's sports like rugby and basketball, but she was under five foot and nowhere near tall enough to play with the guys.

Of course most of her classmates just thought she was just being antisocial. Not many of them looked past the boy's uniform to realise that she was a girl, something that she supposed she understood, even as it frustrated her. It wouldn't be so bad if she could afford a bespoke uniform, but it just wasn't possible to get a girls' uniform to fit her on the kind of money her grandfather's shop made.

The problem was that she was small and underdeveloped for her age. That combined that with the fact that she kept her hair short because she had no interest in dealing with any sort of complicated style meant she could kind of understand why everyone thought she was a guy.

Everyone except Anzu that was. Anzu had been her friend for a long time and, while she too had made that mistake to start with, the two had become fast friends as the pair of them had found things that they both enjoyed and had worked on it from there. Of course Yugi was aware that Anzu didn't share her interest in games, just as she didn't have the same passion Anzu did for dancing, but they had enough in common that they had plenty to talk about.

That didn't mean that Yugi didn't feel lonely on those days like today when Anzu was off with her other friends, leaving Yugi on her own. However it did give her an opportunity to work on something.

Once her classmates had gone out to have their lunch, Yugi pulled her bento and a golden box out of her bag, taking the lid off and examining the objects within, picking out one of the golden pieces and letting the sunlight drifting in the window cause it to appear to glow.

The Puzzle had been a present from her Grandfather and she'd been working on in for the last eight years. It wasn't that she was bad at puzzles, quite the opposite in fact. She could complete the world's largest puzzle, made up of twenty four thousand pieces, in less than a day. It was that the Puzzle was three-dimensional, making it ridiculously complicated and if she wasn't incredibly careful the pieces tended to fall out of place and once one piece fell out the rest would follow in short measure. According to the hieroglyphics on the side of the box, was called the Millennium Puzzle. Not a particularly difficult name to remember, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was supposed to take that long to complete.

Of course it would go much faster if…

"What have you got there?"

Yugi scrambled to her feet as Katsuya Jonouchi grabbed the golden box off of the table and examined its contents.

"Give it back!" Yugi protested, trying to grab it from him, frustrated when the blonde teenager held it high above her head where she couldn't reach it, even if she jumped.

"Geeze, only a girl would care about a box." Jonouchi snorted, causing Yugi to let out a soft, frustrated snort. These two had been causing her trouble for over a year now and they still hadn't worked out that she WAS a girl, "You want it back then give me all you've got."

"I'm not going to fight you, Jonouchi." Yugi shook her head at the blonde, reaching up for her box, concerned that, if he chucked it around, as he was prone to doing with the rest of her stuff, that some of the pieces would fall out and she'd never see them again. "Please, give it back."

"What is this, anyway?" Jonouchi asked, picking out a piece and examining it. Yugi froze, afraid that he'd toss it away. "Boring." The much larger teen commented, dismissively, "Here Honda. Catch."

The blonde threw it to his brunette friend, Hiroto Honda, only for it to be interrupted midflight by the outstretched hand of one Mizaki Anzu. "If it's so boring, then give it back to Yugi." She said with a scowl before chasing the boys out of the room. "You alright, Yugi?" She asked, setting the box down on the table and sitting down on the chair opposite her, "You know, if you told them you're a girl they'd leave you alone."

"I tried that, I don't think they heard me." Yugi sighed as she slipped the first few pieces of the Puzzle into place without even thinking about it, "They say they're trying to teach me to be a man." Yugi chuckled slightly, "I might appreciate it more if I actually was a guy."

"If you were a guy like them, I don't think we'd be friends." Anzu informed her, "Jonouchi and Honda are idiots."

"I'm not so sure they are." Yugi shook her head, having watched the pair over the last couple of weeks. That they had bad grades was obvious, but as far as she could tell, they weren't actually stupid. They were just street smart, rather than book smart. On the other hand, they were among the masses that were completely oblivious to her true gender.

Anzu just smiled at her, humouring the much smaller teenager, unconvinced of the truth of her words. She recognised the box however, having seen it before, "So, working on the Puzzle again?" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Who does she think she's talking to?" Jonouchi demanded as he and Honda stomped down the corridor, "Calling us bullies?"

"Uh, Jonouchi, that would be us." Honda snorted back at his friend, wondering what the blonde saw in the runty boy who acted so feminine. Before he could ask, however, the pair of them crashed into someone and bounced off, hitting the floor.

The person in question, the hall monitor, Ushio, just glowered at them as they tried to pick themselves up.

"What were you saying about bullies?" Ushio demanded.

"Nothing, you..." Honda put his hand over Jonouchi's mouth.

"Nothing at all." Honda told the hall monitor, who nodded and moved on. Only when Ushio was safely out of sight did the brunette move his hand.

"What was that for?" Jonouchi demanded, scowling irritably.

"Pick your fights, man." Honda waved off his friend's irritation, "He makes the rules here. Even the teachers are too scared to disagree with him."

Jonouchi kicked a wall in frustration. Ushio claimed to be anti-bullying and yet the hall monitor wasn't beyond pushing people around in his own way. The two of them had butted heads many times over the years…

Then he remembered what was in his hand. "Hey Honda, look at this."

Jonouchi opened his hand to reveal a piece of the Puzzle that Yugi had been working on. "I snatched a piece of Yugi's puzzle while he wasn't looking. If he's even missing one piece, he can't complete it, right?"

Honda just nodded.

"So I'll just do this…" Jonouchi chucked the Puzzle piece, whose eye glinted in the sunlight, into the aqueduct far below.

"That's great." Honda chuckled.

Jonouchi just nodded as they headed for the canteen. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're Yugi, aren't you?"

Yugi froze at the sound of the voice, wincing as she worked out who it was. She actively avoided the huge hall monitor if she could help it, he made her nervous, and him seeking her out wasn't a good thing.

"U…Ushio?" She stammered as she turned to look at him, nervously looking up at the older teen who was, at least from her perspective, at least twice as tall as she was an built like a brick outhouse.

"I just wanted to ask you something." Ushio said as he pushed himself away from the wall he'd been leaning on. "Have you been being bullied by certain members of your class?"

"No." Yugi blinked, confused, not quite understanding why Ushio would be asking, especially considering his reputation, and, though Jonouchi and Honda sprang to mind, she shook her head. After all they were just trying to toughen her up, they just didn't know that she wasn't a guy like they thought. "Nothing like that happens to me."  
She started to leave, but Ushio's huge hand grabbed her arm. She tried to shake it off, but his grip was too tight.

"Now hold on. Victims often defend their attackers." Ushio commented, seeming bemused that Yugi would try to shake him off, "I've been doing some investigating and you can stop worrying. I'll be your bodyguard from now on."

"Thank you," Yugi said as he let go of her arm, "But I don't need a bodyguard, nothing like that's going on." She backed off slightly and, when it became obvious that he wasn't going to grab her again, she turned to leave, "See you around."

Glancing back over her shoulder as she turned the corner, she was relieved to find that he wasn't following her. She had no clue what had brought that on, but at least she'd managed to get away. She needed to speak to Anzu. She was certain that the only people who were aware of Jonouchi and Honda's teasing were the four of them, after all the pair were always so careful to wind her up when there weren't many people around, probably to avoid getting into trouble.

As it was her friend was waiting for her at the Game Shop and, though Anzu had no idea why Ushio had known about the boys' constant harassment, she did spend the evening playing board games with her, which helped Yugi get her mind off of the problem, and working on the Puzzle in the evening after Anzu had gone home just helped a little more.

The only problem was, the next day the problem was back with a vengeance, when during the lunch break Ushio had demanded that Yugi come with him. She hadn't had much of a choice, considering that the huge hall monitor could quite easily pick her up and carry her if he had to and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it, so she followed him down to the school yard and round to the back alley where the bins were only to freeze when she saw what Ushio had wanted to show her.

"Heh, just look, Yugi." She stared at what Ushio was pointing to. Jonouchi and Honda were on the ground, beaten and bloody.

"W…what?" She gasped, looking from them to the hall monitor and back.

"I told you, I'm your bodyguard." He smirked at her, "So I decided to teach these bullies a lesson."

"N…No. I didn't want this." Yugi put herself between the two downed teens and Ushio, "I didn't ask you to be my bodyguard and even if I did, I wouldn't want this."

"You're protecting them?" Ushio snorted, surprised and amused at the same time.

"They were only trying to help me." Yugi told him, nervous at the look Ushio was giving her. "Leave them alone."

"Fine." Ushio snorted, "But remember Yugi, you still have to pay what you owe and bodyguard charges are two hundred thousand yen."

"What?" Yugi squeaked.

"What's the matter, not satisfied with the service?" Ushio asked, "I can beat up on them more…"

"No." Yugi shook her head, "Don't hurt them anymore. If you want to bully my friends, you'll have to go through me."

She heard a sharp intake of breath from behind her but didn't have time to react to it before Ushio backhanded her to the floor. Nor did she get a chance to pick herself up before his boot hit her stomach hard, winding her and causing her to start coughing.

Before she could pull herself together, Ushio had bent down and picked her up off of the ground by the collar, opening his mouth to say something, then closing it again, his face gaining a speculative look as he looked her over.

Suddenly it hit Yugi. Ushio had worked out she was a girl. For some reason that thought scared her more than the thought that he would beat her up did… "Of course if you can't get the money." The hall monitor said, leering at her, "I can take another method of payment."

Terror coursed through Yugi at those words.

"Leave him alone." Jonouchi growled, picking himself up with difficulty.

Ushio just tossed Yugi aside at Jonouchi's demand. Her head hit the wall before the rest of her did and she slid down, pooling into heap at the bottom, her limbs unresponsive as Jonouchi got pounded by Ushio for trying to protect her. 

When he was done with Jonouchi, Ushio turned his attention back to the girl, who was trying to pull her mind into some form of coherency.

"Remember Yugi. Two hundred thousand yen, by tomorrow or…"

He left leaving Yugi in a state of incoherent fear. There was no way she could raise that sort of money by tomorrow but…

Honda picked himself up and, somehow, managed to drag the badly wounded Jonouchi away with him, not even giving Yugi a second look. Luckily for the girl just a couple of minute later, Anzu rushed down the alley to her side, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder and causing Yugi to jump out of her skin.

"A…Anzu?" Yugi asked, feeling rather dizzy.

"I'm here, Yugi." Anzu said, helping her to her feet, "They've gone too far this time."

"It wasn't Jonouchi and Honda." Yugi shook her head, then wished she hadn't as she nearly threw up over her friend.

"Come on, I'm taking you to the nurse." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonouchi was quiet as the pair of them left the school grounds late that afternoon, thinking through everything that had happened.  
He'd had trouble believing that pacifistic little Yugi had been the one who had set Ushio on them, but when Ushio had come back with Yugi meekly in tow, he had started to wonder. At least until Yugi had thrown himself between Ushio and them, shielding them from further harm and gotten himself beaten up for it. Jonouchi had to admit that he'd been rather impressed with the kid after that.

It took a lot of guts to stand up to someone that was twice your height and could knock you aside with a swipe of his hand and Yugi hadn't backed down, even though Jonouchi and Honda had been picking on him for ages. Jonouchi hadn't been able to stand aside though, especially after Yugi had called them his friends, when Ushio had looked at Yugi like that. He'd seen that look on guys before, when he still ran with his old gang, and he couldn't say that he blamed the boy for freezing up the way he had at the implications. Not that he'd thought Ushio swung that way.

"Jonouchi?" Honda asked as his friend looked down into the aqueduct, "What're you thinking?"

Without giving an answer, Jonouchi leapt into the aqueduct, searching around for something.

"What're you doing down there?" Honda demanded, irritated.

"You go on ahead." Jonouchi waved him on, "I'm just looking for… Ah ha!" he let out triumphantly as he found what he was looking for and held it up, the puzzle piece glinting in the light.

"What're you going to do with that?" Honda asked, confused. "I thought…"

"After what he did for us today?" Jonouchi asked, shaking his head as he climbed out of the aqueduct. He wanted to do much more then just hand back this small piece, but he couldn't raise the money the other boy needed any more then Yugi would be able to…

A thought struck him. Yugi's grandfather owned the Game Shop. Yugi might not be able to get the money, but his Grandfather might… Perhaps there was a way he could help Yugi after all. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was working on the Puzzle, trying to take her mind off of the fact that, short of robbing a bank, there was no way that she could make enough money to pay off Ushio. It wasn't like she could ask her Grandfather if she could borrow that much money, the shop needed every yen it pulled in and borrowing that much money could cripple it…  
She shuddered and dropped the Puzzle onto the desk. What was worse was that Ushio knew she was a girl. While she wanted more people to work it out, knowing that the hall monitor knew creeped her out. Especially considering that the first thing he had done upon discovering the fact was offer to accept that instead of the two hundred thousand yen.

She didn't even know why she was working on the Puzzle now. If she had any sense she would have been packing her bags and running for the hills, perhaps then Ushio wouldn't beat anyone else up or…

Except that she didn't want to run. There wasn't any point. She had no where she could go and no money to run with. Leaving would leave her in a worse situation than she was in now. At least here she could avoid being on her own with Ushio if she kept to the crowds… possibly.

She reached for the Puzzle, starting once again to put it together. She found working on it helped her calm down, and she certainly needed something to calm her down after the day she'd had. Even as she let her mind wander, the pieces seemed to slot into place much easier then they ever had before and before she even realised it she was reaching for the final piece.

Which wasn't in the box.

Yugi panicked. She'd been dreaming for years about the wish that was said to be granted to those who completed the Puzzle, the wish that was supposedly guaranteed to come true, the wish that could save her now. Her wish that she'd have friends who she could rely on, that could rely on her in turn. Now it would never happen. Not if she couldn't find the final piece.

She turned her room upside down, cursing her bad luck. She'd been so careful with the box… she knew what piece it was too. The large jagged piece with the eye symbol on was gone. It shouldn't have been hard to find it, considering that there was little else in her room that was gold. She didn't have a predilection for jewellery, but it was nowhere to be seen.

The only place she could think it might be was in school. It might have fallen out while Jonouchi and Honda had been playing with the box.  
That meant that she couldn't just play sick tomorrow. If she wanted to find the final piece of her Puzzle, she would have to face up to Ushio.

She slumped into her desk chair, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.

She was doomed…

A knock on the door caused her to jump a mile.

"Come in." She called, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as her Grandfather entered the room.

"I see you've finally completed the Puzzle, Yugi." He said, coming over to have a look and allowing his Granddaughter her dignity in pretending that she hadn't been crying.

"No… I haven't." She shook her head morosely, misery obvious. "I can't…"

"You've poured your heart and soul into this Puzzle over the last eight years." He told her, putting his hand on her shoulder, "You should have a little more faith."  
She just looked up at him, "Your wish will be granted." He promised her, revealing the missing piece of the Puzzle.

In less time then it took Sugoroku to blink, Yugi had crossed the gap between them and glomped her Grandfather. "Thank you. Thank you." She breathed, relief more then than obvious, "You found it for me."

"It wasn't me who found it." Mr Mutou told her when she unpeeled herself from him, "A friend of yours just came by and asked me to give it to you. He looked drenched, but it's not raining…" Sugoroku smirked slightly, "Have you got a boyfriend you're not telling me about?"

Yugi went bright red and started stammering denials. Sugoroku just chuckled and waved her back to the Puzzle. When Yugi turned away, he slipped an envelope into her bag and left, shutting the door behind him.

The friend, Jonouchi, had told Sugoroku that a thug was threatening Yugi and the elderly gentleman wanted to do everything in his power to ensure the safety of his only living relative and to do that he was willing to hand over the money she needed. Not that he expected, now he knew that she'd completed the Millennium Puzzle, that the money would ever reach the hands of the thug. There was more to the Puzzle then just the one wish. The person who completed it was said to inherit the Shadow Games and pass judgement over evil. He wasn't sure how much of that was true, but he'd had enough experience with the Shadow Games in Egypt to know that they were very real. With the power of the Shadows behind Yugi, Sugoroku didn't doubt that Ushio would be the one who was in trouble.

Inside the room Yugi was in the process of carefully, joyously, putting the last piece of the Puzzle into place.  
And that was the last thing she remembered until morning. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ushio paced the school yard, waiting irritably.

He couldn't believe that the little girl had had the audacity to call him out here in the middle of the night. Unless she was going to pay him… he smirked at the thought. He somehow doubted that she had come up with two hundred thousand yen in less then six hours, which he assumed meant that she was willing in another manner.

He paused, watching the school gates and then glancing at his watch. She was late and if he was honest, he wasn't certain that she'd have the guts to show up. After all, she did let people walk all over her regularly. She didn't even have the guts to stand up and correct the mistake people made over her gender, so he was convinced that her earlier stand was a fluke.

So when he turned around to find her waiting for him with a smirk on her face he was shocked.

"Well I gotta hand it to you," He said, hiding it well Looking her over, he was amused that she was more obviously female without her school jacket and with the gold, Egytian style jewellery and the huge pendant, even if her hair was wilder than usual. "I can tell you're going to be a good girl. Now, how are you paying me? You can't have raised the cash."

The fourteen year old girl looked bemused as she held up an envelope, "Actually I have your money right here." She told him, backing up as he tried to snatch it from her, moving to the side of one of the vaulting horses that had been left out. "If you want it, you'll have to play a game with me."

"A game?" Ushio glowered at her, wondering where this confidence had come from. The girl he'd pushed around earlier had had no confidence at all, whereas the one standing before him now was brimming with it.

"A Shadow Game in fact." She continued, examining her nails as if bored. "And if you win, you can have more than just the two hundred thousand yen."

"Really?" Ushio was interested now, convinced that he could beat her at any game she picked.

"We just need one tool to play." She nodded at him, "The knife you've got hidden."

Ushio snorted as he took it out. So she wasn't as stupid as he thought she was. That was fine, he had other means to take what he wanted. She was, after all, half his size and half his weight.

He put the knife down and she picked it up, weighing it in her hand and giving him a brief smirk, making him more nervous. Didn't they say watch out for the quiet ones?

"What kind of game is this?" Ushio asked, watching as she put the knife down and got the money out of the envelope, a look of greed crossing his face as she counted it and a small, knowing smile crossed her face.

The girl gave him an amused look, one he couldn't help comparing to a cat that had just gotten the mouse. "It's really quite simple." She informed him, demonstrating, "You put the money on top of one hand and stab into the pile with the other." She showed him that she'd pierced three notes and pulled them off the blade before offering it to him, "You can keep what you stab and the one with the most at the end wins but if you stab your hand or try to quit you lose automatically."

So it was a trial of confidence that she was challenging him to… that just confirmed his theory, at least in his own mind. He was almost certain that she wasn't Yugi and yet at the same time she looked exactly like her. He didn't really understand it, but then, he supposed, he didn't have to. After all he was stronger then her and probably had much more control and experience with the knife. He stabbed down and showed her the seven notes he'd picked up. This would be over soon.

The two continued back and forth, for a while, until it came down to the last few notes.

"Just one for me." She commented, showing him, "I like my hand in one piece."

Considering that there were maybe three or four note left and that was all he needed to win, Ushio was confident that he could beat her, except…

'Why does my hand want to stab down with all my strength?' Ushio thought, sweat beginning to pour down his face. 'My right hand's aiming for the money and my hand, and it's not listening to my brain.'

"The Shadows always reveal a person's true nature." She spoke up, as if reading his mind, "And your greed is what's driving your right hand. You can't stop it unless you forfeit."  
Ushio had another plan though. There was a way that he could stab something with all his strength and not damage his hand.

"You let me have this knife, so you lose!" He lashed out at her, "Die, Yugi!"

She darted back, narrowly avoiding the blade and glowered at him, red eyes glowing, a golden eye glowing on her forehead.

"Wh…What?" Ushio demanded. Her eyes had been purple earlier! What was with the glowing forehead eye?

"Just as I thought." She snorted, incredibly ill amused. "You weren't able to play by the rules at all." She tossed her head as if trying to shake off some of the anger, "You have trespassed in my soul and sinned against my friends, Ushio." She growled, already setting the magic in motion, "Penalty Game. Illusion of Avarice."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was nervous as she went through the school gates, glancing around, looking for Ushio and hoping that he wouldn't see her, only to be shocked when she spotted him playing in a pile of leaves and tossing them around, shouting something about money.

"He's been like that for the last hour, possibly longer." She started at the voice and turned to find Jonouchi watching her, gaining an odd look when he saw she was wearing the Puzzle.

"Really?" She asked, partly freaked out that Ushio seemed to have gone mad and partly, guiltily, relieved that she didn't have to deal with him.

"Uh huh." Jonouchi seemed to consider her for a moment, then nodded to himself and guided her inside. "How are you today?" He asked as they headed in.

"I'm fine." Yugi replied, confused as to why he was talking to her, "How are you and Honda?"

"We're good." Jonouchi said, grinning at her, "We've had much worse then this." When she nodded but didn't ask any questions he continued, "I've got something to show you, Yugi." He said, as they took off their shoes and put their indoor ones one. Yugi tilted her head at him, curious, "It's something you can show but you can't see."

When she blinked at him confused, he just grinned at her.

"Give up?" He asked, waiting only for her to nod before continuing, "It's friendship." He watched her eyes widen and light up with delight, "Thanks for showing me we're friends."

"Okay." Yugi smiled brightly.

"Well… see you in class." Jonouchi said, darting off as he went bright red, feeling embarrassed at saying something so mushy.

Yugi just shook her head amused, at least until she realised something.

"Jonouchi!" She called after him, "You dropped your shoe!"


	2. Dancing Queen

"Why are we here?" Jonouchi asked, irritated already as he gave the sign above the door a look that said that he'd be rather happy if it caught on fire.

Yugi just smiled at him, beginning to get used to Jonouchi's moods. "Anzu's getting out of class soon and I promised to come and watch."

Jonouchi let out a soft snort but nodded. He could be patient. Considering that Anzu had been subjected to several hours of games last night, he supposed it was only fair that he put up with an hour or so of dancing. It wasn't like he minded. The tight, figure hugging leotards would distract him anyway.

The pair entered the studio, where almost immediately they were set upon by the receptionist who recognised Yugi and directed them to the window which looked out on the studio and bustled off to get them some tea while they waited.

Yugi settled into her favourite chair and her friend followed, swiftly becoming amused when Yugi's eyes never left the studio.

"You fancy one of them, Yuge?" Jonouchi asked, earning himself a shocked look from his friend, before the much smaller teen went bright red.

"No!" She protested, a moment of frustration passing through her when she realised that he still hadn't taken in the fact she was a girl, probably because he was so used to treating her like a guy, "No... nothing like that."

In fact she envied the dancers their grace and beauty. Anzu had brought her to the dance studio before, but Yugi had had all the grace of a two legged, lame cow and some of the others dancers had taken great delight in pointing that out, so to spare Anzu any more embarrassment, Yugi had taken to arriving after class had started, so the other dancers wouldn't make snide comments all the way through practice.

"I bet I could do some of that." Jonouchi commented, bragging, as the receptionist returned with tea. Yugi just hid a smile behind her cup. He could say that, but it took years of practise to get that good and she'd seen Anzu have to work at it. As much as Yugi respected her new friend, she was fully aware that there was no way Jonouchi could pull off half the moves that Anzu could. Not given all the training Anzu had had over the years.

It had been Yugi that had encouraged her to follow her dreams after an incredibly embarrassed Anzu had admitted that that was what she wanted to do with her life. In fact she'd even helped Anzu find a dance studio that didn't cost very much and had supportive teachers. While she was unlikely to ever take the stage herself, Yugi was happy to watch her much more graceful friend doing what she enjoyed.

Of course she half expected Anzu to pitch a fit when she realised that Jonouchi had followed Yugi to the studio, but she hadn't wanted to lie to him and hadn't been able to think of an excuse to get rid of him on the spur of the moment.

Yugi was so worried that she hadn't finished her tea by the time practise ended, but she needn't have been since Anzu came out of the changing room beaming.  
"Yugi! Hi." Anzu grinned, plonking her bag down by Jonouchi's chair.

"Hi Anzu." Yugi smiled back at her, relieved, as Jonouchi nodded to her. "Good practise."

"The best." Anzu agreed, joining them in the seats and watching the next group file into the studio, "Terada-Sensei told us there's a talent scout coming to the studio tomorrow."

"That's great." Yugi beamed, glad for her friend, recognising that this was her big chance.

It was only then that Anzu seemed to notice Jonouchi's presence, and Yugi winced slightly as Anzu's enthusiasm waned and was replaced by irritation. "Jonouchi."

"Anzu." The blonde nodded back, pretending to be unaffected by Anzu's mood swing.

Yugi sighed. It had been a week since Ushio had gone crazy and the pair of them still didn't really get on well. Anzu couldn't work out why a nice girl like Yugi wanted to spend time with a thug like Jonouchi and Jonouchi found Anzu's attitude frustrating.

"I take it we're heading for the arcade again." Anzu commented, her tone cool. She understood Yugi wanting more friends, but she the only thing she enjoyed at the Arcade was the DDR machines and there was only so much time you could spend on one, especially after a long session in the studio. 

It was more fun if you had someone on the other set of arrows to compete against, but Yugi always felt awkward while on it and it showed in the way she moved, which was a shame because Anzu didn't think that Yugi was as uncoordinated as she thought she was. It was just that Anzu had made the mistake of taking the small girl into the studio just before class and the older, more practised, girls hadn't been particularly kind about Yugi's faltering attempts to follow Anzu's instructions, especially once they'd realised that Yugi, who had gone in into the studio in jogging bottoms and a t-shirt, was actually a girl. Then the snide comments that had flown Anzu's way during class had been more about Yugi's lack of development than anything else.

"Jonouchi wants to meet up with Honda." Yugi explained, sure she'd come up with something that might appease her friend, "I thought I might try DDR again, if you want to play."  
Anzu blinked at the girl, surprised. It wasn't the first time she'd been surprised by Yugi's willingness to look stupid for the sake of her friends and it most likely wouldn't be the last, but Anzu was grateful for it.

"Sure, Yugi." She said finally, picking up her bag as Yugi chugged down her now cold cup of tea and got to her feet, "That sounds good."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"That was fun." Anzu chuckled a few hours later as the two girls walked home, swigging cans of coke and smiling.

Yugi nodded, agreeing. Once she'd let her nerves slip away and treated it like a game it had actually been a lot of fun to compete against Anzu on the DDR machine. She didn't think she'd done too badly, especially considering that Anzu had hiked the difficulty level on her side, pushing it up from easy to medium.

Of course she was certain that Anzu had been going easy on her. There was no way that she should have kept up with Anzu's scores considering that that Anzu had knocked her difficulty level down so they were on the same level.

"You are going to come tomorrow, aren't you?" Anzu asked her, nervous about the importance of the visit.

"Of course." Yugi nodded, smiling at her, "I'll even walk you there if you like."

"I'd like that." Anzu nodded as they paused outside her house. "Are you going to be alright on your own?" She asked, concerned about letting Yugi walk home alone at this time of night.

"I only live a block away." Yugi waved off her concern, though she was nervous herself. "And I know that your mom's a lot stricter on curfews than my Grandfather."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Anzu nodded as she pulled her keys out of her bag and Yugi hung around until Anzu had shut the door behind her and then headed home, wandering down the road and darting down an alleyway that would cut five minutes off her time.

It was dangerous, walking home alone, but less so for her than any other girl. After all, most people would mistake her for a boy and just try to mug her, whereas she'd heard the horror stories about girls who were out after dark and had been jumped. She shuddered as she picked up the pace, trying not to get freaked out when one of the many back doors that led onto this alleyway shot open and crashed into the wall. Her Grandfather was going to be cross as it was. She'd been supposed to be home half an hour ago, but she'd been distracted at the arcade. It happened far too often for him to be surprised, but she half expected to be banned from there one of these days and then she wasn't quite sure what would happen. Not that it had happened yet, just as she had managed to avoid getting mugged before.

Of course there was a first time for everything and just as she was turning out of the alleyway to walk the last hundred yards to her backdoor, someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her back into the alley by her wrist. Yugi tried to scream, but her assailant put his hand over her mouth and pinned her against his body with his other arm. Fear made her compliant as he dragged her further up the alley, getting about halfway up before he uncovered her mouth and showed her a knife he'd pulled out of one of his pockets. "I'm taking all of your money." He informed her, whispering in her ear, "Scream and I'll use this, got it?"

Yugi nodded, shaking, and the man pushed her away from him, pulling her backpack off as he did so. She turned slightly away from him, trying to shield the Puzzle, which, she was certain, was made of gold, from the mugger, too scared to run.

"Is that it?" The man growled at her when he raided her purse only to one solitary hundred yen note.

She nodded, having spent all of her pocket money at the arcade.

"Then we have a..." He paused and smirked as he caught sight of the Puzzle, "I see you're holding out on me." He said, moving towards her.

"You can't have it." Yugi backed up and was stopped by a wall, causing her to glance over her shoulder fearfully.

"Just hand it over, and I won't have to hurt you. It's not like it suits a wimp like you anyway."

"No way." Yugi shook her head, attempting to dart to one side, only to be pulled back by her hair. She let out a pained yell as he pulled her around, causing her to lose her footing, going tumbling to the ground and crashing into one of the huge metal dumpsters.

The thug smirked as she picked herself up slowly, going to step forward only to discover he couldn't move his legs.

"W...What the hell?" He demanded of her.

Red eyes glowered in his direction as she rubbed the shoulder that had hit the container. "It's a shame you picked me to rob." She commented as she stretched the limb and winced, anger only intensified by the pain, "Now you'll have to play my game."

"What the hell are you talking about, you freak?" The thug demanded as the darkness around them waved and danced around the two figures.

"It's a simple game." She informed him, speaking as if she hadn't heard his question. "Win and you can take whatever you like, lose and your fate is up to me."

"Like I have a choice." The thug snapped at her, "What are we playing?"

She tossed a six sided die to him. "All you have to do is roll higher than me." She told him as he caught the red die, showing him her own purple die, "Just once, that's all."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Fine." He growled. "Roll your dice."

She just nodded and let the dice slip from her hand. It bounced along the floor and rested at the man's feet. "A two." Her tone, while still showing her anger, had a touch of amusement as her eyes came up to rest on his, "Surely you can't fail to beat that..."

He glowered back at her. If he could have moved his feet, he would have pounded the brat, however as it was all he could do was roll his dice... well that or...  
He tossed his dice at her. The red die struck her in the forehead, causing her to flinch back slightly, and came to rest on the floor. On a one.

The darkness around them flared as she gave him the dirtiest look imaginable. "You lose." She said, her voice echoing slightly, "And that means your fate is up to me."

"I'm not scared of you!" The thug snarled, realising that his feet were free and launching himself at her, aiming to take her head off.

Instead he bounced off of an invisible wall and ended up flat on his back.

"Pitiful." She snarled as the darkness whirled around the man at her command, "Penalty Game. Enervation."

The thug let out a panicked yell as the he realized his legs wouldn't take his weight. "W…what did you do?" He demanded.

"When you learn that even the weak have a right to respect, the penalty will fade." She told him, "Until then you'll have to work through everything without resorting to brute strength."

"You bitch." He growled at her as she picked up her school bag and put everything back inside.

She didn't even deign to give him a response, just carried on down the alleyway and headed home.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi yawned as she tried to keep up with the teacher.

There were just some things she couldn't bring herself to be interested in and chemistry was one of them, but she kept up with the work, even if she got bored easily.  
She could see a use for her Japanese lessons, English too and she'd need a firm base in maths if she wanted to help her Grandfather in the shop, but things like chemistry she didn't see the point in.

Luckily or unluckily whichever way she wanted to look at it, Jonouchi was more than willing to wile away the last lesson of the day playing noughts and crosses with her as long as they made sure that the teacher couldn't see them passing the paper between them.

What was better was that he was willing to keep playing even after she beat him three times in a row. Most people got frustrated when she beat them repeatedly and stopped playing with her, even Anzu got bored after a while, however Jonouchi seemed to be more than happy to put up with it as long as she showed him where he was going wrong.

"Mutou!"

"S…Sensei?" Yugi asked, her head snapping up at the teacher's voice, looking embarrassed as she hid the piece of paper under her text book.

"If you ever want to get decent grades you should start paying attention," The teacher told her as she swept down the aisle of desks and snatched up Yugi's book, smirking as he picked up the piece of paper, "And stopped playing games. Perhaps an hour's detention will teach you not to slack off."

"But Sensei…" Yugi yelped, trying not to glance at her friends.

"If you have a long enough attention span to play games with yourself, you should have a long enough one to take in what I'm trying to teach you." The teacher said dismissively, putting her book back on the table before moving towards the front of the class.

Yugi glanced over her shoulder and gave Anzu an apologetic look. Her friend just glowered at her for a moment, before waving it off and turning her attention back to the class.  
When class ended, Yugi turned to Anzu but didn't get a chance to apologise.

"How many times have I told you not to play games in class?" Anzu asked, her tone speaking of her disappointment and causing Yugi to wince. "You know your grades are slipping."

"Lay off, Mazaki." Jonouchi snorted at the pair, "I'm to blame as much as Yugi, so…"

"Sorry." Yugi interrupted the pair before they could start arguing again.

"At least you'll be out in time to see the end of the lesson." Anzu sighed, not oblivious to Yugi's diversion tactic and letting her get away with it only because she could see how much Yugi disliked it when her friends fought with each other.

There was silence for a moment as no one really knew what to say and then…

"I'll walk you to your class." Jonouchi spoke up, surprising the pair of girls who gave him a shocked look, causing him to give them an amused grin, "I've got nothing better to do."

Anzu opened her mouth, paused when she realized Jonouchi was teasing, closed it again and nodded.

"Thank you." The brunette said, looking like she wasn't quite sure how to respond to Jonouchi's offer, then she left, heading for the lockers so she could change her shoes.

"Thanks, Jonouchi." Yugi said, looking relieved, having known that Anzu really hadn't wanted to go on her own.

"Just covering your back Yuge," Jonouchi smirked at her, "After all it's no good if your girlfriend's mad at you." Yugi stared at Jonouchi uncomprehendingly, wondering where that had come from, causing the blonde to chuckle. "Now, you don't want to be late for your detention." He pointed out, "I'll see you later." With that the blonde headed after Anzu.  
Yugi watched him go, still unable to comprehend why Jonouchi would assume she was dating Anzu, then grabbed her own bag and headed down to the detention room. She had some homework she could do that would keep her busy for an hour and then she could be out of there like a flash.

"I never expected to see a nice girl like you here, Mutou." The teacher she presented herself to commented as he wrote her name down, "You might be a bit of a daydreamer, but you're generally good at keeping yourself out of trouble."

Yugi just bowed her head, unconvinced that this was fair herself but unwilling to argue with a teacher. When the teacher was done, she took a seat and pulled out a piece of maths homework, managing to get five or six questions in before she realized that it felt like someone was watching her.

Glancing around carefully, not wanting to end up in more trouble, she caught Honda, who had managed to earn himself a detention earlier in the day, staring at her. At least until her eyes caught his, at which point he looked down at his desk and he started writing like his life depended on it.

Wondering what was going through his mind, Yugi turned back to her own work, swiftly becoming engrossed in the work, and was surprised when, in the middle of trying to work out an algebraic formula, the teacher called, "Hiroto, Mutou, time's up."

Yugi blinked and nodded at the teacher, swiftly putting her stuff into her bag and heading out the door, hoping to reach the studio before Anzu's dance class was up.  
She didn't get very far though as just before the lockers Honda grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around to look at him.

"You're a girl?" He demanded, looking her over, irritation obvious.

Yugi just nodded nervously.

"Then why are you in…?" He gestured to her uniform. "And what's with your hair?"

"The girl's uniform doesn't come in my size." Yugi replied, torn between frustration that Honda didn't seem to want to believe it and amusement that he was this surprised, "And my hair looks a mess when it grows out."

"Huh…" Honda stated, slowly going a rather bright shade of red as he realized something. "You mean when I asked you to grab those magazines…"

Yugi just nodded.

He let go. Yugi backed up, giving the boy a small, shy smile.

Without any further comments, Honda left.

Yugi sighed as she put on her shoes and headed for the dance studio. It wasn't like she had tried to keep her gender a secret, but she couldn't help but be worried about Honda's reaction and what Jonouchi's would be when Honda told him, finally deciding, just a few yards from the studio, that it would be better for her to explain everything to Jonouchi herself. He might take it better if she told him, rather than him finding out second hand.

Not that she got a chance to talk to him. He had already left by the time she got there. The receptionist had tolerated his presence yesterday because he had been with her, but the studio hadn't wanted him to hang around without someone around to watch him. They didn't think he looked trustworthy enough.

Yugi would have defended her friend, but Anzu, high off of the success of her dance class and the way she'd impressed the scout and how there might be a place for her in a recital towards the end of the year if she kept it up, had practically dragged her off for celebratory ice cream.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Jonouchi was walking home.

He had surprised himself when he'd offered to walk Anzu to her dance class and he'd been quite glad of the excuse he'd given Yugi, but he knew full well that wasn't why he'd made the offer.

He wasn't even sure why he was hanging around with the pair of them. Anzu wasn't bad, she had a mean right hook to her, he'd learnt that the only time he'd ever tried to look up her skirt, but Yugi was his natural prey. The small weedy male that didn't fight back… in his days in Hirutani's gang there was no way he would have put up with the kid. He'd made a real effort to change though, when he'd managed to get himself out of his former gang and into a decent school, though he nearly hadn't made the cut, and it was obviously making the difference if he had changed who he was willing to hang around with this drastically.

That didn't mean he didn't sometimes wonder about some of the choices he made and today was one such occasion.

"Jonouchi."

"What do you want?" The tall blonde scowled as he turned towards the source of the voice, slipping into a defensive stance. "I thought I told you to piss off the last time you came knocking."

"Still the same Jonouchi." The other teen, a well built male with messy black hair, sniggered, "The boss wants to talk to you."

"I'm not interested."

"Perhaps your friends might be. The brunette, the chick and the wuss?"

"Leave them alone." Jonouchi demanded, well aware that while Honda could handle himself in a fight, Anzu would have trouble and Yugi wouldn't stand a chance if they ganged up on him.

"All you have to do is come and talk to the boss and they'll be fine."

Jonouchi's scowl deepened. He knew his former gang leader too well to expect that to be true, but he wasn't sure he had much of a choice. "Fine." The blonde said. "But if any of you lay a hand on my friends, I'm taking the whole lot of you down. Got it?" He asked, appearing to be speaking to thin air, but well aware that there were, most likely four or five others around, hiding in case needed.

"Fine, fine, whatever." The black haired teen said, "This way."


	3. Brute Force

Yugi hated taking the bus to school.

Normally she walked in with Anzu, but every so often she wasn't ready when her friend arrived so Anzu would go ahead and Yugi would catch the bus. The only problem with that was the bus was normally full of senior students who weren't exactly friendly.

It didn't help matters that if she got shoved towards the back of the bus Sozoji, one of the oldest students in the school, would often grab her to sell tickets to one of his 'Ultra Special All Night Solos'. This basically involved her and whoever was stupid enough to buy the tickets, which Sozoji expected her to sell at 500 yen a shot, being stuck in a karaoke room with him from six till closing.

This wouldn't have been so bad if Sozoji didn't keep control of the microphone all night and treat them all to at least four hours of his, in his own ever so modest opinion 'exquisite' voice. Yugi never came away from these solo nights without a headache and ringing ears.

What was worse was being dragged up on the very very rare occasions where Sozoji needed a female co-singer (Sozoji had worked it out over a year ago but thought it was hilarious to take the mickey out of her because everyone treated her like a guy) and made to look like an idiot because, while her voice wasn't bad, nothing in the entire universe could harmonise with Sozoji's constantly off-key wailing.

Of course the very worst part was that Sozoji expected you to come up with the difference if you didn't manage to sell all of the tickets that he'd given you and everyone was getting smart to his 'karaoke nights'. The last time he'd given her tickets, she'd had to fork out 2500 yen, hadn't been able to come up with all of it and ended up with a black eye which she'd had to pass off as her walking into something to Anzu just so her friend didn't get into a fight with the much larger senior.

Not that she'd been dragged to one in the last couple of months as she'd been rather good about making sure all her stuff was up together the night before so that she didn't have to take the bus.

Last night, however, she'd completely forgotten about it, having come home bouncing off the walls from a combination of Anzu's success and too much sugar and spent the greater majority of the night (when she hadn't been doing her chores) playing games with her Grandfather, at least until she'd crashed and Sugoroku had sent her to bed at around tenish.

So this morning she was on a bus and slowly getting pushed towards the back by the ever increasing number of students that climbed on to get either to Domino High or the local Elementary.

Not that the back of the bus was crowded as she found out when an impatient senior had pushed her towards the back when he'd tried to get to his friends. No, as per usual the back of the bus was empty of everyone except Sozoji and the music that was perfectly audible even though Sozoji was wearing headphones.

More than once Yugi had wondered if Sozoji was tone deaf because he'd damaged his hearing by having his music up so loud. She was certain that it couldn't be good for someone's ears for the music to be so loud you could hear it from almost a meter away.

"Yugi-Chan."

Yugi squeaked and froze at the sound of his voice, having hoped that she could make her way back into the crowd before Sozoji had opened his eyes and spotted her.

"Come here, Yugi-Chan."

Her shoulders sank as she turned around to face him. She really didn't want to go and talk to him, but she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter as he was at least twice her size and would get want he wanted unless she got Jonouchi or Honda involved and she had no intention of doing that. So, instead of fleeing like a sane person, she sat down next to him meekly, dreading what he was about to say.

"I was beginning to think you were going to miss my next concert, Yugi-Chan." Sozoji commented as she sat, "You're in luck though. I still have tickets." Sozoji produced five out of his jacket pocket. Obviously she hadn't been the only one avoiding him, "I need you to sell these by tomorrow."

"What?" Yugi yelped, looking at the tickets as if they were diseased.

"That's right, tomorrow." He shoved them into her hand.

"But..." There was no way she could come up the sales or the money in time and then she'd have to explain to the others...

"You will sell them, won't you Yugi-Chan?" Sozoji continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I mean I'm only giving you five."

There wasn't much point arguing and by the time they arrived at school, Sozoji had managed to elicit a promise from the girl that she would sell as many as possible in such short notice.

Never mind that Yugi knew full well that there was no one in the entire school stupid enough to buy the things off of her.

The matter left her mind completely though when she got into class only to find Jonouchi wasn't there.

This wasn't unusual. Jonouchi was always in school, but that didn't mean he was always on time. In fact some of the students ran a book on what time Jonouchi was finally going to get into class each day.

What was unusual was when lunch time came around and Jonouchi still hadn't shown up.

"It's not like him." Honda commented as they finished their dinner, though Yugi hadn't felt very hungry and as such hadn't finished her bento, "He's never missed a day of class the entire time I've known him."

Yugi bit her lower lip, concerned but didn't really know what to say. It could have just been because her friend had come down with something, but considering that she'd seen Jonouchi in school even when he'd had a horrendous cold and had been falling asleep at his desk the entire time, she didn't think that was the reason.

"I hate to say it," Anzu said, looking a bit embarrassed, "But it's kind of lonely without him around."

"I'm going to head around his after school." Honda told them, though it sounded more like he was deciding out loud, "I know where he lives."

"I'll come." Yugi told him almost instantly.

"Me too. I don't have work." Anzu said only seconds behind her, worried about the other member of their group even if the pair of them didn't normally see eye to eye.  
Honda just nodded, looking uncomfortable.

"You alright, Honda?" Yugi asked, thinking, too late, that he might not have wanted them to go.

"Yeah..." He looked around, saw there was no one else around and nodded to himself before picking up his bag and dumping what looked like half a sweet shop on Yugi's desk. "Sorry."

"For what?" Yugi blinked at him, completely confused by the huge pile which appeared to be made, primarily, of chocolate bars.

"For acting like an idiot and not noticing a cute girl when she's right in front of me." Honda got the reaction he'd been hoping for as Yugi went bright red and looked incredibly embarrassed, unused to someone calling her cute.

Anzu however gave Honda an irritable look. Though Yugi had forgiven the boys for the bullying even before it had ever really finished, Anzu had still been angry about the way the pair had treated her friend. Especially considering that an apology hadn't been forthcoming.

At least until she'd seen Honda on the way to school this morning and he'd asked her what kind of sweets Yugi liked and she'd dragged an explanation out of the teen. That hadn't quite been the apology that he'd promised though.

"You weren't acting..."

"Yes, I was. I treated you badly and I'm sorry. Now just take the chocolate." Honda interrupted Yugi's attempt to reassure him.

"Thank you." Yugi nodded, with a small smile, thanking her friend for both the gift and the apology as Anzu helped her sweep the sweets into her bag. They were just finishing up as the bell rang for the end of lunch and the rest of their class filed back into the classroom.

Yugi's thoughts finally trailed back to the tickets that were in her bag when she pulled out her text book and a couple came with it.

She spent the majority of class thinking about them and she still wasn't sure what to do when class finally kicked out. Because of that she was slower to pack her stuff away then the others and her friends beat her out of the door.

The corridors were slowly emptying by the time Yugi left the classrooms and no one was around when Hanasaki, a boy who was around her height, with black hair that was only just shorter then her own and huge glasses, called her over.

"Are you alright Hanasaki?" Yugi asked, mentally slapping herself when she thought about selling him a ticket. Just because Hanasaki was a loner as she herself had been, didn't mean she had the right to inflict Sozoji on him.

"Uhh..." Hanasaki nervously pulled something out of his pocket. Yugi recognised it as one of Sozoji's tickets. "Would you buy this from me?"

"Sorry," Yugi shook her head, pulling hers out her bag and showing them to Hanaskai. "Sozoji gave me some to sell too."

"Oh..." Hanasaki looked crushed, "I... He gave me five a week ago..."

He'd had a week to sell them? She had just over a day...

"I have an idea," She said finally, as Honda walked around the corner, looking for her, "Give me the tickets. I'll pay Sozoji and you won't have to go."

"You sure?" Hanasaki asked even as he scrambled to pull the remaining four tickets out of his pocket and push them into her hands.

"I'm sure." Yugi nodded, shoving the tickets in her bag quickly, not wanting Honda to see them, "See you later."

Hanasaki nodded and scooted off as Honda caught up the pair, uncomfortable around the former bully.

"Everything alright Yugi?" Honda asked, noting Yugi's nervousness as she zipped up her bag.

"Yes... I'm ok." Yugi nodded as she started towards the lockers to change her shoes, "Shall we?"

They quickly changed and headed out, heading away from their usual haunts and into Rintama territory.

Yugi looked around nervously as they walked down the streets. The other local High School had a reputation as a breeding ground for bullies and thugs and Rintama students didn't take kindly to Domino High students hanging around their territory. Some thought it was because Domino High had the better reputation and the higher grades, others thought it was a gang war thing, but there was one thing she did know. It wasn't good for them to be wandering around here.

It made her wonder though, why Jonouchi had decided to come to Domino High if he came from around here. Not that she was complaining but it was food for thought.

"Here." Honda said as they reached a block of flats and he led them up to the third floor, "Stay behind me." He tried the door, only to find it wasn't locked.

"Jonouchi?" He called in as he pushed the door open, noticing someone on the sofa, surrounded by empty bottles and cans, only to pull it almost shut as something came hurtling towards the door. The glass bottle smashed upon impact, shattering into a rain of green glass. "Jonouchi!" A blonde head rose from the couch, a much dirtier colour then Jonouchi's own, belonging to someone very similar to their friend but at least twenty years Jonouchi's senior, "Where have you been for the last couple of days you useless waste of space!"

"That answers that question." Honda scowled as he shut the door.

"Who was...?" Anzu asked nervously.

"Jonouchi's father." Honda's tone spoke of his disgust, "Jonouchi doesn't like talking about him."

"I won't say anything." Yugi promised.

"Me either." Anzu nodded her agreement, suddenly understanding why Jonouchi had such trouble studying at home. There was silence for a few moments, then... "So what now?"

"The arcades?" Yugi suggested, "Jonouchi likes games almost as much as I do... maybe..." She trailed off at the look on Anzu and Honda's face.

"It's a good idea." Honda reassured her, "I just think it might be better if you two go home first."

"No." Yugi shook her head, nervous about being in Rintama territory but refusing to retreat until she knew her friend was safe. "I'll come with you."  
When Anzu nodded her agreement, the three headed into town to search through the arcades. It didn't take them very long. In the second arcade they went into a group of 

Rintama thugs were causing problems. Jonouchi was with them.

"Jo..."

"No, Yugi." Honda grabbed her by the collar and pulled her away. "That's Hirutani's gang. You don't want to get involved."

"But Jonouchi..."

"Let me." Honda pushed her and Anzu behind some arcade games and walked towards the group. "Jonouchi."

The blonde froze for a moment, then turned around and sneered at his former friend. "What do you want?"

"I thought you were out of this crap." Honda scowled at the ice in Jonouchi's tone, slipping into a defensive stance as a couple of the gang members moved towards him.

"Get lost, Honda." Jonouchi snorted, "You're weak and pathetic and I don't want to be seen with you."

"You..." Honda took a step towards his friend, only for the blonde to lash out. Honda blocked the blow but the intention was clear.

"Jonouchi," Honda cringed slightly as Yugi stepped out from her hiding place and spoke up, "I was worried."

"Do you know the little bit, Jonouchi?" Hirutani asked. The huge, blue haired, thug who was built like a brick outhouse looked the girl over, highly amused.  
Jonouchi merely glanced at her before snorting dismissively. "No. I have no idea who he is."

Hirutani glanced at Yugi, then at Jonouchi, then sniggered and turned away. "Let's go." The entire gang started to leave, including Jonouchi.

"Jonouchi..." Honda grabbed Yugi's arm as she went to dart past. Their friend didn't even respond to Yugi's call. He just continued on like she hadn't spoken. "Jou!"

"I'm sick of this brat." A shorter, weedier thug wearing a beanie hat turned around, striding towards Yugi, raising his fist.

"Leave it." Hirutani snorted as Honda pulled the girl behind him. "We're going. Now."

The small thug snorted but followed Hirutani's orders.

The group left.

Honda wheeled around to give Yugi an earful, only to find the small girl looked crushed.

"We should leave." Anzu said, making her way to their side. "Now."

Honda nodded, pulling Yugi out and down the street.

They finally stopped walking when they reached the park. Yugi sat down on a bench and Anzu hovered nervously.

Honda went in a completely different direction and kicked the nearby bin, kicking the bin several times until there was a rather large dent in it, the noise startling Yugi out of her slump.

"I thought he was out of the gangs." Honda said finally, sitting next to Yugi, "I thought he'd shaken Hirutani."

"What do you mean?" Anzu asked.

"When I first met Jonouchi he was in Hirutani's gang. He managed to get out just before he started at Domino High but I guess..."

"No." Yugi shook her head, hands resting on the Puzzle. Jonouchi had become her friend because of her wish and she didn't think... at least she hoped... "I don't think Jonouchi's changed."

"I hope not..." Honda sighed as he got to his feet, "We should go. I'll walk you girls home."

The three walked back the way they'd come. They dropped Anzu off first and then Honda and Yugi parted ways once they reached the shop.

For some reason, as she slipped inside to do her chores, Yugi felt rather lonely.

\------------------------------------------

The next morning Yugi came into class with a lot on her mind.

She'd ended up on the bus again and Sozoji had informed her that he knew she'd taken the tickets from Hanasaki and not only had he given the boy five more tickets, but he expected her to either sell all ten tickets.

And no. She didn't have the option to pay him instead.

Which was fine. She didn't have Y5000 anyway.

Still Sozoji had promised her pain if she didn't sell the tickets and promised that Hanasaki would get worse if she didn't show so she didn't know what to do...

Anzu would just tell her to report it to someone, not that Yugi had any clue who to report Sozoji's actions to, while she didn't really know what Honda would do. He was much more level headed then Jonouchi, who would have gone and kicked Sozoji's butt for her... or at least he would have tried...

Just thinking about Jonouchi made Yugi's thoughts fall off the rails again. She didn't think her friend would just turn his back on them like this but...

It was the first time actually focusing on her school work helped her get through the day. Not that it helped her with her Sozoji problem. She still hadn't worked out what to do by the time she'd walked home. She hadn't been able to sell any tickets and Sozoji would be waiting for her and her 'guests'...

She didn't even know why she bothered getting changed, swapping her male school uniform for a t-shirt and knee length skirt, it was always a waste of time but, since she was going out she did feel some effort was required. It was, after all, nice to be acknowledged as a girl for a change. Not that it made much of a difference when she got there. Hanasaki didn't appear to be there and, as she hadn't sold any tickets, Sozoji roughly shoved a pair of headphones on her head, shoved her into a seat, kicking the table on his way past so it crashed into her right leg hard, and started 'singing' before Yugi could say anything.

Yugi loosed a pained cry as her eardrums nearly exploded. It wasn't just that Sozoji's voice was painful to listen to, he'd cranked the volume right up and it was so loud it practically vibrated her brain. She went to rip the headphones off, only for someone to beat her to it, ripping them off of her head and tossing them aside. Her ears were ringing as she looked up at her helper, becoming surprised when a rather angry Honda, with a ticket in his pocket, nodded to her and wheeled around to confront Sozoji.

"What do you think you're playing at?" Honda demanded, interrupting Sozoji mid-song and angering the teen.

"So you did manage to sell a ticket, Yugi-Chan?" Sozoji asked, giving Yugi a sly look, "You told me you hadn't."

"I'm talking to you." Honda growled, his hands balling into fists.

Sozoji smirked as he moved towards the brunette. Yugi darted to her feet, recognising the senior's intention and got between Honda and Sozoji as the bigger, older teen lashed out.

Sozoji's fist struck hard, sending the much smaller girl tumbling into the table, smacking her head on edge of it on the way down. When Yugi didn't get back up, Honda snarled and launched his own punch which Sozoji blocked with difficulty before shoving Honda backwards over the table.

The brunette got to his feet quickly, glancing at his friend, who was beginning to stir, and scowling at Sozoji. "What do you think you're playing at?"

"Yugi-Chan was supposed to sell tickets for my concert." Sozoji informed him as she sat up, hand on the side of her head, expression pained, red eyes scanning the room, "Weren't you, Yugi-Chan?"

"Where's Hanasaki?" She asked with a growl as Honda helped her up.

Sozoji's smirk didn't reassure her. "Well you see, Yugi-Chan. You were late so..." He pulled the curtain that normally hid the equipment aside, to reveal Hanasaki, who was crumpled on the floor, bruised and unconscious, "I kept my word."

"Sozoji, you bastard..." Honda took a swipe at Sozoji but the senior ducked under Honda's attack and stuck the brunette in the solar plexus, winding Yugi's friend and causing him to crumple up, coughing.

"Leave him alone." She growled, stepping between Honda and the bully, Puzzle glowing, "It's me you're after." She considered him carefully for a moment, then smirked, "How about you and I play a game?"

"A game, Yugi-Chan?" Sozoji asked, bemused. "This is a karaoke room, not a game room."

"Not even if I promise to pay you with my life if I lose?"

Sozoji's eyes widened as the possibilities sank in. He'd always wanted someone to do all his chores and homework for him. Having a slave would make his life so much easier... of course there was a flip side to this generous offer. "And if I lose?"

"You suffer a penalty game." She shrugged without care as she set up the game, "These are Sound Pierrots," She showed him the odd clown like dolls as she put two of them on the table, "They react to sound. You'll sit in front of one, I'll take the other and the one whose Pierrot reacts first loses."

Sozoji nodded, kicking Honda again, this time hard enough for something to crack, as he took a seat. Her hands tightened into fists as her friend let out a pained grunt, her glare impressive as Sozoji sat opposite her.

The older teen was irritated by the silence as the pierrots settled again and the two teens stared each other down, her ruby red eyes boring into his brown ones. Her gaze swiftly became too much for him and he had to look away, his eyes resting on her glass instead, where...

'I'm going to win!' Sozoji crowed in his head, clutching the microphone closer to his chest, his heart pounding in excitement as he waited for the headphone jack from Yugi's headphones, which was balanced precariously on the edge of her glass, to fall into the cola and cause a horrendous squeaking noise. It had to have come to rest there when Honda had ripped the headphones from Yugi's head. It was delicious irony that the friend that had come to save her was going to be the one to doom her to a life of servitude. 'Fall! Fall! Fall!'

Suddenly the pierrot in front of him started dancing. But the jack hadn't fallen...

"But what..." Sozoji paused, suddenly realising that it had been completely silent just moments ago, even Honda's groans had stopped, but now there was a steady thump thump thump coming from the speakers which he'd left on full volume.

"It's the sound of your heart, Sozoji." She told him, smirking, "Your habit of keeping the microphone close to your chest has brought about disaster! Penalty Game! Beat Festival!"

Sozoji started screaming as a pounding sound started in his ears, "Make it stop!"

"When you listen to fast music your heartbeats speed up to match." She explained as she moved around the table, to her friend's side. "You're now, appropriately, a human pierrot."

Sozoji left, his hands over his ears, still crying about the noise, as she reached Honda's side. At her touch, her friend's eyes opened, concern obvious in his features as he pushed himself to his feet, trying not to wince as he did so. "Yugi, are you alright?"

"I'm ok." She promised him, "Sozoji left. We should too."

Honda nodded, slapping Hanasaki lightly until he came around and giving the boy some support as the three of them left.

They left Hanasaki, who was insistent that he was ok and he'd had much worse, at the bus stop and were heading for A&E so Honda could get his ribs looked at when the tall brunette pulled Yugi behind him. Yugi, who was confused as to what had happened earlier as it was, looked around, concerned as a bunch of the thugs from earlier moved out of alleyway and surrounded them.

"I thought there was someone following us." Honda commented, silently cursing that he hadn't been more vigilant, having been lost in the thoughts that he should have been able to take one senior. "What do you want?"

"Where's Jonouchi?" Hirutani asked, stepping out of the nearby alley and watching the pair, amused.

"How are we supposed to know?" Honda demanded, planting himself in front of Hirutani, hoping Yugi would run if he gave her an opening, "We haven't seen Jonouchi since yesterday."

At the gang leader's gesture Yugi was pulled away from her friend by a black haired thug who twisted her right arm behind her back with one hand and held her shoulder with the other. Yugi tried to wrench free only to let out a pained yelp as the thug twisted her arm further up her back, and, half afraid her arm was going to break, she froze.

"Let her go." Honda demanded, scowling at the thug holding her, "We have no idea where Jonouchi is. Last time we saw him, he was with you lot. Now piss off."

"Should I teach him some manners?" One of the thugs pulled a stun gun out of his back pocket and pointed it at Honda.

Yugi somehow knew what the answer was going to be before Hirutani said it and, though she wouldn't be able to explain how she did it later, she twisted free, tearing her top as she did so.

"Honda!" As Hirutani nodded his ascent Yugi tackled her friend, knocking him below the stun gun. The thug carrying the aforementioned weapon stumbled and tripped over the pair, sending him crashing into Hirutani, shocking both himself and the gang boss.

Even before the electricity had cut off and Hirutani and the thug had pulled themselves together, Yugi had scrambled off a confused and pained Honda, who hadn't quite pulled together what had happened, and put herself between him and the gang leader.

Honda tried to get to his feet to protect her, but he let out a pained moan and fell back as his hand went to his chest where Sozoji had cracked his ribs earlier and the second jolt had done more damage.

Hirutani was furious as he pulled himself to his feet shakily, ignoring the injured boy to glare at the girl, who trembled slightly but didn't move. For a moment they stared at each other, scared amethyst meeting angry stormy blue, then Hirutani smacked her, the power behind the blow enough to send her crashing to the floor.

Before she could recover, the gang leader had dragged her to her feet and pinned her against the wall by her throat, his grip tight enough to cause her difficulty breathing.

Dazed from the blow and having trouble breathing, Yugi tried to free herself, her hands trying to pull away Hirutani's, only for the gang leader to pull her away from the wall slightly and slam her head against it hard.

Yugi's hands fell away as her body became unresponsive, her mind barely able to move beyond the fear, her breath catching in her throat.

"I think you need to learn a lesson about interfering in things that don't involve you." Hirutani snarled, as Honda tried to force himself to his feet, only for a couple of the goons to beat him back down. "Kikuchi," He let go and Yugi collapsed in a heap at the bottom of the wall, coughing badly "Take her."

"N...No... Leave her alone." Honda groaned as the black haired thug scooped his mostly unconscious friend up.

"If you see Jonouchi," Hirutani continued, as if Honda hadn't spoken, "Tell him we have her. Maybe then he'll bother to keep his word."

With that one of the thugs bashed Honda around the head and by the time the teen's world had stopped swimming the thugs, the gang leader and Yugi were gone.


	4. Rescue Me

Jonouchi had been checking his friends had gotten home safely every day since Hirutani had approached him, even if they hadn't seen him, so when he'd stopped by the Game Shop around half past six and found Yugi wasn't been outside doing his chores and he'd looked through the windows of the shop, only to find his friend wasn't there either, he grew understandably concerned. Frowning slightly, since Yugi always helped his grandfather clean up the shop on the evenings, Jonouchi glanced around and was about to step into the shop when Honda appeared out of nowhere and slammed him against the nearby wall.

"Where are they hiding, Jonouchi?" Honda demanded, pinning him. "Where's Hirutani hanging out?"

"This is none of your concern, Honda." Jonouchi snarled, trying to push his friend away.

"It is my concern." The brunette snapped back, shoving him back against the wall, angrier then Jonouchi had seen him in a long time, "Your 'friends' took her."

"What?" Jonouchi demanded, taking in the bruising on Honda's face for the first time. Hirutani had sworn he'd leave his friends alone, not that Jonouchi completely believed him, and if he'd grabbed Anzu or gotten one of his gang members to do it for him Jonouchi was going to pitch a fit. "What do you...?"

"She tried to help me and they took her." Honda growled in response, "Saying they were gunna teach her a lesson."

Jonouchi growled, his tone low and dangerous, his eyes flashing, "You'd better go keep an eye on Yuge. If they've taken Anzu..."

"You idiot." Honda snapped, "Yugi's the one who's been taken."

"But you said..."

"She's a girl you moron."

Something in Jonouchi's mind clicked. Yugi had tried to tell him herself. Both before and after they'd become friends, but it just hadn't sunk in. He'd been too used to treating her like a guy…

Some friend he was…

And what was worse was that Hirutani had her…

"Go stay with Mutou-San." Jonouchi snarled, managing to break free and shove Honda away, "I'll get Yuge back."

"Jonouchi…" Honda forced himself to his feet, holding his ribs as he did so, and wheeled around to tell Jonouchi that he wasn't to go alone, only to find that the blonde had already left.

Jonouchi knew where they'd be likely to take her. He hadn't long come from the hangout down by the bars and that wasn't exactly somewhere Hirutani was likely to take someone he was going to 'teach a lesson'.

No, it would have been difficult to drag someone of his size to where he was thinking of. The warehouses down by the docks, one of which had been abandoned for a rather long time and had been claimed by Hirutani as his 'Torture Chamber' years ago, would be empty at this time of night. However someone of Yugi's size and stature would have been easy to get there. It wouldn't even have caused a fuss if they'd had to knock her out and carry her. She looked young enough for any of them to claim that they were her big brother and they were taking her home after she'd worn herself out or something.

He swore and picked up the pace, sprinting across town, as he realised that even at his fastest it would take more than ten minutes to reach the docks and that he had no idea how long Hirutani had held Yugi prisoner for already. He was more than aware of what Hirutani was capable of when angry. He had, after all, seen the sorts of methods he would use against people when he wanted information. It had been one of the reasons he had gotten out when he had the first time.

The teen wasn't even on the right row of abandoned warehouses before he heard a scream, Yugi's voice piercing the night air, causing the blonde to freeze as fear stabbed him. A second, weaker, scream forced him out of shock and allowed him to sprint for the right warehouse. He reached it as a third cry died, it's volume much lower than the first two, and he broke down the barricade, only to freeze in the doorway at the sight of what was going on inside as a black haired thug moved away from his friend, holding something that sparked dangerously in the low light.

"Yugi!"

Yugi stared blankly at him with half lidded, pain darkened eyes, her face was pale where it wasn't bruised, her breath was coming in short gasps and she was suspended by a hook normally used to move packages around, the balls of her feet just touching the floor, taking some of her weight off of her swollen wrists, which were bound tightly to the aforementioned hook.

Jonouchi wasn't even sure that she knew he was there.

"Leave her alone, Hirutani." Katsuya snarled, furious that not only had his former gang boss kidnapped his friend and that he'd treated her so badly, but that he'd so badly misjudged the situation with her, he just hoped… "We had an agreement. I come back to your gang and you leave my friends alone."

"What's the matter, Jonouchi?" Hirutani smirked, running a hand down Yugi's side and becoming amused when the girl let out a weak whimper and tried to escape his touch, "Concerned for your little girlfriend? Never knew you were into Lolita."

"Take your hands off of her." Jonouchi snarled, trying to think quickly. Even if Yugi had been up to running, he would have been in trouble. There were six of them on top of his gang boss… The first thing he had to do was get Yugi out of here, nothing else was important.

"I don't know, if the nymphet's not yours, I might keep her." Hirutani said, still smirking, noting the way that Jonouchi's hands balled into fists at the insinuation. "Just say the words and you can have her."

Katsuya let out a low, vaguely feral sounding growl at the gang boss's words. "She's mine, Hirutani." Jonouchi said finally, hoping Yugi didn't hate him for it, "You can't have her."

"I thought so." Hirutani said, nodding slightly. Then he did something Jonouchi would never forgive him for. He grabbed Yugi by the chin and, waiting for her to open her mouth to take a gasping breath, kissed her.

Jonouchi, who had, the moment the shock had faded enough, moved to dispatch the goons so he could get to his struggling friend's side, was stunned momentarily when, in a burst of golden light, Hirutani went flying.

The gang boss went crashing into some crates on the other side of the room and before he could pick himself up, Jonouchi had made his way to his friend's side and cut her down with a knife one of the thugs had dropped, catching her as she fell.

She was limp in his arms for a just long enough for Jonouchi to start worrying, then she pulled herself upright, cringing as she did so, and slipped out of his arms, red eyes catching his own brown ones as she steadied herself.

"Thank you." She sounded different, but Jonouchi was convinced that was because of the pain that was so obvious in her face.

"You need to get out of…"

"The pair of you aren't going anywhere." Hirutani growled as he got back to his feet, madder then ever.

"Jonouchi." She spoke quickly, "You take him," She nodded to the gang boss, "And I'll handle the rest."

Any other time, any other place, he wouldn't have listened, but she spoke with a surety that he couldn't match and a faith that he was willing to bet his life on.

"Be careful, Yuge."

"You too." She darted off, snatching something out of her bag and heading up the stairs.

"Go after her." Hirutani ordered his goons.

It took every last ounce of willpower Jonouchi had not to move to intercept the goons that chased her up the stairs. As it was, Hirutani helped in that matter by lashing out at him immediately.

Jonouchi was having none of it. After what the gang boss had done to his friend, he was more than willing to pound him into dust. He blocked the incoming blow and landed one of his own, booting Hirutani straight in the nuts, unwilling to play nice. The gang boss crumpled to the ground, fighting hard not to throw up, having not expected that from someone who had always fought with at least a modicum of honour.

"That's for Yugi, you bastard." Jonouchi snarled, going to boot the man in the ribs only for Hirutani to grab his leg and pull, causing Jonouchi to go crashing into the floor and before he could right himself, Hirutani had pinned him to the floor and was attempting to slit his throat with a broken piece of glass, the sharp edge of which was cutting into the gang leader's hand.

Jonouchi wrapped his hands around Hirutani's wrist, trying to force his hand away from his neck. The gang boss had always been physically stronger than him and Jonouchi was struggling to keep the glass more than a few inches away.

He bucked his hips, shocking Hirutani enough that Jonouchi was able to reverse their positions, rolling the leader onto his back and, through his arm was cut in the exchange, he managed to get the glass out of Hirutani's hand. What he didn't expect was Hirutani to throw glass dust in his eyes. Jonouchi recoiled, inadvertently freeing Hirutani, trying to blink the glass from his eyes, which were watering like crazy.

"You should have just taken the position I offered you, Jonouchi." Hirutani snorted, "Would it really have been so bad being my second in command?"

"I'm never going to follow you, Hirutani." Jonouchi snarled, wheeling around at the sound of the leader's voice and lashing out, breaking Hirutani's jaw, bringing the thug crashing to the ground. Jonouchi kicked the guy in the ribs, hard. Hard enough to hear something crack, "And I'm never going to forgive you for laying a hand on Yugi."

With that Jonouchi darted up the stairs after his friend.

\-----------------------------------------------

She was in pain and she was pissed off.

Hirutani was just lucky that she owed Jonouchi her life and he considered the Gang Boss his to deal with. If she had gone after him first, there wouldn't have been anything left for Jonouchi. As it was she had six little grunts she could express her displeasure to and she was taking great pleasure in leading them into her trap. She would make them pay for their crimes against her, of that she was certain, just as she trusted Jonouchi to make their leader pay, but she had to do it carefully. Her injuries wouldn't allow for any screw ups and she wouldn't be able to hold all six of them off if they attacked her, she just didn't have the training or the body strength.

The six grunts joined her on the roof without even thinking about it, underestimating her ability to defend herself. The moment they stepped onto the roof, the game was set. She didn't even give them a chance to accept or decline her challenge. Scum like them didn't deserve a chance to do so.

"You've got nowhere to run now." The tall, black haired boy who had grabbed her earlier, smirked, "It's us or a drop." He indicated the edge.

"Who said I was running?" She retorted as he approached her, "I was just luring you to the spot where we'd play our game."

"Who said we were gonna play a game with you?" One of the other teens, a brunette asked, sneering.

"What's the matter?" She let out a soft chuckle, teasing them, luring them further onto the roof by backing up, almost at the edge herself, "Afraid of a girl?"

"We're not afraid of no girl." The black haired one snorted, "Besides," He smirked at the others, "How can one game hurt? It's not like she can go anywhere. We win either way." 

She watched the Shadows flicker around the boys, who seemed oblivious to it, as they spread out, trying to trap her in the corner of the roof.

"Going to tell us the rules then?" The black haired leader asked.

"It's quite simple." She said, showing them the deck of playing cards she was holding, "We each draw a card and the person who draws the highest number wins. Ace is low, mind. So King's the highest. You even get six chances to beat me."

"And what do we get when we win?"

"Anything you like." She said, noting the way their eyes lit up, "Money, aid, me... Of course if you lose, I get to decide what happens to you all."  
She moved forwards slightly and the five lesser goons drew from the top of the deck, pulling a six, an eight, a five, a three and a ten while the black haired teen drew a jack.

"Going to have trouble beating this." He told her, showing her the Jack of Spades, fitting, she thought, for someone who would dig their own grave after she drew.

She just smirked at him and drew the top card, only to reveal the Queen of Diamonds. "I guess I win."

"So?" The black haired thug demanded, moving forward attempted to grab her wrist, only for her to pull it out of his reach, unwilling to let him lay a hand on her, causing him to slap her so hard she went crashing to the tiles and nearly slid off of the roof.

She pushed herself to her hands and knees quickly, glowering at him, darkness coursing around her as she raised one of her hands. "So your fate is up to me." She hissed, fury only intensifying when she saw the marks around her wrist where the ropes had rubbed it raw, "Mind Crush!"

The goons collapsed as their minds audibly shattered, their bodies hitting the tiled roof hard, three of them tumbling down the slanted roof and falling over the edge and into the alley below. The shadows dispersed.

"Yuge!" She got to her feet and looked towards the broken window she'd used to get out here, watching as Jonouchi, injured himself, stepped out onto the roof, giving her an incredibly concerned look. He was safe then, she was glad of that. Jonouchi was a good friend and a strong protector.

"You alright?" He asked, as she made her way over to him, limping as she picked her way between the bodies, exhaustion and pain catching up to her now the adrenaline was waning.

She collapsed into his arms, causing Jonouchi to let out a panicked yell, as she slipped into unconsciousness.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Jonouchi was pacing the hospital entrance when Honda and Sugoroku arrived and the old man stopped just long enough to thank him for rescuing his Granddaughter from the thugs and pat him on the shoulder before heading in to find out what was going on with Yugi.

"You're not inside?" Honda waited until the door had shut behind the old gamer before wheeling on Jonouchi, demanding an answer.

"They wouldn't let me stay with her." Jonouchi explained, kicking the wall, having already dented the trash can and having been threatened by security if he did it again, "I'm not family."

"Is she alright?"

"I don't know, they won't tell me anything." Jonouchi sounded lost and angry at the same time, "She... and... I'm gunna go back and kill him."

"What happened?"

"I was too slow. They hurt her, Honda. Bad. For a moment I thought…" Jonouchi shook his head and kicked the wall again, "Damn it. She shouldn't have been involved in this. I went back to stop this happening…"

Honda paused, considering the blonde. He'd known there had to be a reason for his return to the gangs besides backsliding, but he hadn't guessed that Hirutani had been smart enough to threaten Jonouchi's friends.

"Did they…?" He asked, not sure if he wanted an answer.

"No." Jonouchi shook his head, knowing what his friend was asking, "And I wouldn't have left them alive if they had."

Honda nodded, understanding, relief obvious.

"Kicked Hirutani in the nuts though. That was satisfying." The blonde informed his friend, "Broke his jaw and might of cracked a couple of ribs too. No one lays a hand on my friends and gets away with it." There was a vicious satisfaction to Jonouchi's tone.

Honda just let out a soft snort, silently wishing he'd had the chance to kick the git too. Silence fell between the pair for a minute or two and then…

"I can't believe I didn't know Yuge was a girl." Jonouchi said, his tone turning depreciatory as he leant against the wall, frustration obvious. "Especially one as kick ass as she is."

"Come again?" Honda asked, confused, since Yugi was currently in the hospital, apparently badly injured.

"They had her tied up." Jonouchi explained, "And hanging by her wrists," He rubbed his own, not wanting to think about how long that would take to heal, "But once I cut her down she took down six goons by herself."

"You're not serious." Honda snorted.

"Deadly. She took down six thugs by herself. Three went off the roof and the other three were out cold by the time I reached her. Hirutani kept me kind of busy."

"So I'm guessing this answers the question of are you still gonna hang around with her now you know she's a girl?" Honda snorted, certain there was something Jonouchi had missed, well aware that Yugi just didn't have the build to take down one thug, yet alone six.

"I want to know how she did it." Jonouchi nodded, "Besides she ain't gunna be able to do much for a while, she's gunna need someone around to help and I kind of owe her. It was my mess after all." Jonouchi chuckled slightly as he thought of something, "But there is no way I'm getting on her bad side until I know how to block whatever it was she did."

The blonde paused. "Wait… you knew Yuge was a chick and you didn't say anything?" He demanded, "When were you gunna tell me? Or did you enjoy watching me make an idiot out of myself?"

"Hey we both looked like idiots in front of the girls." Honda snapped back, "I only found out three days ago and that was just before you went missing."

"Oh." The anger bled out of Jonouchi, "How did we miss it again?"

"I'm not sure." Honda admitted, "Everyone does, yet she's in with the girls for PE, doesn't enjoy sports, changes in the girl's locker room…"

"So… the entire school are morons?"

"I think it's the boy's uniform." Honda shrugged, having asked himself the same question. "Either that or the hair. No other girl we know keeps it that short."

"Anzu does." Jonouchi pointed out.

"It's the uniform then. Or everyone's blind."

"Blind and stupid." Jonouchi pointed out, well aware that the pair of them fit into that category if they'd missed the clues.

"So how are you going to make it up to her?" Honda prodded his friend when Jonouchi fell silent again, a feeling of guilt weighing heavily on him.

"Huh?" Jonouchi responded eloquently.

"I already apologised, and I forked over a ton of chocolate." Honda explained, "How're you gunna apologise?"

"Uhhh…" Jonouchi tried to think. Somehow he didn't think flowers was the right answer for someone like Yugi and she had all the best games so buying her a new one wasn't the answer. "I have no clue."

"Word of advice, talk to Anzu. She'll be a pain about it, but she'll help you out."

"But…" Jonouchi could just imagine the smug look on her face now if he approached her about this.

"Anzu is the only person except Mutou-San who knows what Yugi likes." Honda paused to think, "It's a shame you don't have much cash, Anzu mentioned there's a video game in at the store Yugi frequents that she's been after for a while. That might work."

"Lend me some money?"

"Jonouchi!" Honda protested half seriously. "Go talk to Anzu tomorrow. If she tells you what the title is I might, and I said might mind you, lend you the cash, but you owe me big time."

"Like I don't normally?" Jonouchi sighed, wishing he'd had Honda at his back earlier. "You'd only have to wait till my wages come in, then you could have it back."

"I don't know how you managed to get a work permit, but I can wait till then." Honda nodded, "But you have to speak to Anzu first."

"Damn it." Jonouchi mumbled under his breath. He and the brunette girl got on like cats and dogs, in fact they generally put up with each other for Yugi's sake, so he wasn't sure what she was going to say about all of this. He could imagine that it would involve her rather impressive right hook at some point.

"Suck it up, Jonouchi."

\-----------------------------------------------------------

It was dark when Yugi awoke but it wasn't only the dim light coming from the street lamp outside her window that disconcerted her.  
The bed she was in was uncomfortable, the room she was in wasn't her own and… she pushed herself into a sitting position with her elbows, wincing slightly as she did so, and took the Puzzle off of the bedside cupboard, putting it on with difficulty as she gazed around the room properly, her mind fuzzy, her arms wrapped in bandages, everything finally making sense as it finally seeped into her mind that she was in hospital, not that she could remember how she got there.

She wasn't even sure what the last thing she remembered was, whatever was in the drip that was connected to her hand was preventing her from thinking straight and, she was certain, would probably usher her back into sleep soon as she let out a rather loud yawn. 

One that startled the girl who looked a lot like her, except older and wiser, who was sat at the end of her bed and staring out of her window.

Yugi and the girl looked at each other, red eyes meeting amethyst, concern in one set and confusion in the other, then the girl got up and smiled at her good naturedly, putting a hand on Yugi's shoulder before backing up slightly and vanishing.

"A ghost?" Yugi murmured, too drowsy to be concerned and wondering how she'd missed seeing her the first time she'd looked around the room plus still trying to work out what had happened and why she was here, staring at her heavily bandaged wrists as if they could give her the answer.

Then it hit her. The memories returning like a ton of bricks.

She'd been kidnapped by Jonouchi's old gang and… she shivered, as pain ghosted through her, though it was a memory rather than any current pain, the drugs they were pumping her full of were seeing to that. 

Suddenly she felt sick as the memory of the kiss Hirutani had stolen from her crossed her mind and she tried to pick up the water jug on her table to pour herself a glass, only for real pain to spike up her arms and her to drop it, getting water everywhere and alerting the nurses to the fact she was awake.

"Mutou-Chan, you shouldn't be lifting anything." The nurse who arrived first scolded her, interrupting Yugi's stammered apology, cleaning up the mess and pouring her a glass from a fresh jug. She helped her drink it before she took the Puzzle from Yugi and made her lie back down.

"If you need help there's a call button next to your bed but your wrists aren't going to take any sort of weight for a while." The nurse warned her as she turned something up on the drip, "Now go back to sleep. You've got a lot of recovering to do and your boyfriend won't be pleased if he brought you here for nought."

"My boyfriend?" Yugi asked, confused for a moment as sleep tried to drag her under again, "Jonouchi? Is he…?"

"He had a nasty cut and some bruising but he got away fine." The nurse informed her, "You've got a keeper there, fighting a whole gang to rescue you."

"Not my boyfriend…" Yugi mumbled, trying to stay awake enough to explain, "My friend… protects me…"

With that she slipped back into sleep, her dreams full of the girl on the end of her bed that had looked so much like her.


	5. Burning Up

"Snap!" The little girl giggled as she collected the pile of cards from the centre of the tray, causing Yugi to give her an amused smile before she glanced at the door, "You alright, Yugi-Sempai?" The little girl asked, sounding worried as she put down the first card of the new round.

"I'm ok Eiko-Chan." Yugi replied, turning back to the game, wincing slightly when she shifted her wrist a little too quickly as she turned her card over and put it on the pile, "I'm just waiting for my friends."

Daisuki Eiko, a small eleven year old girl with long black hair and green eyes who'd come into the hospital with a broken leg during the middle of last week, nodded as she turned her card over, gaining a serious look that was belied by the amusement in her eyes, "You're off home today, aren't you?"

Yugi nodded, a little nervous about it. Her friends had been in to see her several times over the last couple of weeks but she always felt ashamed when she spoke to them, embarrassed because not only had Hirutani kissed her, the memory of which made her skin crawl, but both Jonouchi and Honda had put themselves in harm's way to help her.

She'd wanted them to be able to rely on her, not have to bail her out.

It didn't help her embarrassment that Jonouchi had been singing her praises since he'd rescued her from Hirutani and his thugs and she couldn't remember what had happened.

She'd been suffering from blackouts for a while. She'd have one whenever she was afraid, and by the time she came around whatever it was that had been scaring her was generally gone. She'd had one that night. No, she'd had a few, she didn't remember coming around after hitting her head on the table, she'd definitely had a blackout when she'd tried to escape from Hirutani and his thugs on the way to the warehouse and she'd had another when Hirutani had kissed her.

She was frightened of what her friends would say if they knew, as they would have to do soon if Jonouchi kept pushing it, her friend unconvinced that the stress of the night had caused her to forget what had happened. Playing games with Eiko had helped her forget about that until today.

The small girl, who was in here because she couldn't get around her house with a broken leg reminded Yugi uncomfortably of herself pre-Puzzle. She had only had her grandmother in to visit her and had spent almost all of her time playing games on her handheld until she'd asked Yugi about the rubix cube she'd been trying to do.

Normally she wouldn't have had any trouble with it, but with her wrists the way they had been a week ago it had been about all she could do to get it to turn four or five times in a row. The nurses had threatened to confiscate it at one point but she'd given it to Eiko, who had taken to trying to complete it when she thought Yugi was asleep or the nurses had ordered 

Yugi back to bed.

Yugi wasn't completely healed up by any stretch of the imagination – according to the Doctors it would be anything between three weeks (which was looking highly unlikely) and three years (and she really hoped it wasn't that long, she'd go crazy if it was) before her wrists stopped playing up, depending on if she tried to do too much with them and if she used the exercises that the physiotherapist had shown her.

However most of the bruising had gone down, though it was still a little tender, she could put weight on her injured leg again and she'd pretty much shaken off the last of the side effects from the stun guns, meaning that the only real problems she had were her wrists, which apparently weren't meant to take the weight of a person as they had when her legs had given out under her and there wasn't much more that the hospital could do for them now other then get her to come back in regularly for physiotherapy.

Shame crossed Yugi's mind again as she thought about how much they were going to tighten their belts just to pay for her hospital treatment, yet alone the continued visits...

"Yugi-Sempai?" Eiko asked, tilting her head, curious when Yugi didn't continue the game.

"Sorry, Eiko-Chan." Yugi apologised, sighing as she flipped her card and added it to the pile. She was trying to let her friend win, but even so that was no excuse for zoning out on her, "I'm just tired."

She was also a very bad liar however Eiko didn't press it, so glad to have someone who was willing to play games with her that she didn't want to risk scaring them off, especially when Yugi had promised to come and visit.

"Yugi! Daisuki-Chan!"

The pair of girls jumped a mile when their names were called and turned their heads in time to see Jonouchi being told off by the nurse as Anzu and Honda slipped into the room.

"Ready to go, Yugi?" Anzu asked, concern for her friend obvious as her eyes ran over the bed that Yugi should have been in and Honda picked up the bag that rested on it.

"Nearly." Yugi nodded, quickly grabbing a piece of paper off of the bedside table and scribbling her number onto it for Eiko. "If you want to talk, call me, ok? If I miss your call, I'll ring back as soon as possible." She said as she held it out for the girl, who nodded as she took it, looking delighted.

"How are you today, Daisuki-Chan?" Anzu asked as Yugi, reluctantly, peeled herself away from the game and stood up, adjusting her trousers before walking over to her bed.

"I'm alright, thank you Mazaki-Sempai." Eiko nodded, having been introduced to Yugi's friends a week ago but having not made friends with them as she had Yugi. The eleven year old's eyes followed Yugi across the room as Honda acted horrendously embarrassed to be looking through the drawers to make sure Yugi hadn't left anything behind. "Mazaki-Sempai? 

Is Yugi alright?"

Anzu frowned at her friend for a moment, before turning to Eiko, "What do you mean?"

Eiko hesitated momentarily before she turned back to Anzu. "She has these... moments," Eiko said slowly, "Where she doesn't act very Yugi like. I mean maybe it's because I don't know her very well, but... It's almost like she's someone else but never for very long and normally only when it's really late or really early and she always seems confused if I ask her about it afterwards..."

Anzu considered Eiko's words. She'd noticed Yugi withdrawing from the group over the last couple of weeks too, she'd assumed that it was because of the kidnapping, but maybe there was something more to this than she'd thought...

"I'll keep an eye on her, okay Daisuki-Chan?" Anzu half asked, half told the girl, "You focus on getting better."

Eiko nodded, looking relieved, and there was a round of goodbyes and the four of them left, Jonouchi looking rather sheepish until he was out of the hospital, at which point he regained some of his former bounce as he half shepherded them down the road.

"School's been boring without you." Jonouchi informed Yugi as he seized her bag from Honda and practically skipped down the road, much happier now that his friend was no longer in the tender care of the local nurses, "So since I just got paid, I thought we'd celebrate your freedom. How does Burger World sound?"

Anzu frowned momentarily when Jonouchi mentioned Burger World. He had a job permit, mostly because he couldn't have afforded schooling otherwise, but Anzu hadn't been able to get one and while Yugi had done her best to find Anzu a cheap but good quality dance school, the girl was under the impression that Anzu's parents were paying for it. Yugi had no clue that Anzu was working at the Burger World to raise the fees, as well as a little extra, even though she wasn't supposed to.

"I don't know I heard people who eat there get ill and Yugi..."

"Ah lighten up Anzu." Jonouchi pretty much discarded Anzu's attempt to direct them somewhere else, "I've eaten there plenty of times. Besides, Yuge's only just gotten out of hospital, she should get some fresh air."

"I'll be ok." Yugi promised Anzu with a small smile, trying not to feel like Anzu thought she was made of glass or something, "It's not my feet that are sore, after all."

Yugi missed Jonouchi's wince at that statement but Anzu didn't and she gave the teen a reassuring look. She had already given Jonouchi a piece of her mind about the way he had treated Yugi and had been surprised when the blonde had agreed with everything she'd said and called himself a few names to boot.

That, combined that with the incredibly humble apology that Jonouchi had made to Yugi in front of herself, Daisuki-Chan, a couple of other patients and several nurses, had changed Anzu's mind about the teenager, before giving Yugi a present as an apology. A copy of the new Tomb Raider game which was tucked into Yugi's bag ready to be played when they got back to the shop...

That didn't however mean that she wanted Jonouchi anywhere near her place of work. She couldn't see a reason not to go unless she told them about the job, however, and she just knew that they'd either make fun of her... or worse, Yugi would want to work there too in order to help her raise the cash. Not that she wouldn't appreciate the thought but she wanted to do it by herself.

It didn't take them long to reach the burger place and while the woman on the door nodded to her as she ushered them to a table, Anzu was able to breathe a sigh of relief when their order was taken without anyone bringing up the fact her shift wasn't starting for another couple of hours and left her friends discussing video games as she went to use the toilets.

"I wouldn't have taken you for a Tomb Raider fan," Jonouchi brought up as Anzu left the table, watching the service counter hungrily as he did so, "I dunno, it just doesn't seem your sort of game."

His voice startled Yugi out of whatever thoughts had been pulling her attention to the street outside and she blinked at him, confused as to where that conversation starter had come from, before smiling at him, "Grandpa brought me the first one as a present because my grades had started picking up. I'm not too fond of the action side of it, but the exploring and the puzzle solving's fun. I think it's a throwback to when he used to go on archaeology trips. Not that what he did and what Lara does is the same though... what?" She asked as Jonouchi burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry but Gramps? Going all Lara Croft?" Jonouchi asked as he calmed down, having spent a considerable amount of time at the shop while Yugi had been in hospital doing all the odd jobs that she normally did, "I can't imagine it."

"He wasn't always this..." Yugi started defensively and then trailed off, looking embarrassed.

"You were going to say old, weren't you Yuge?" Jonouchi teased, only to get himself shoved by Honda, the act earning Honda a grateful smile from Yugi even as she warned the pair that they might get thrown out of the joint if the pair of them started play fighting here.

Before Jonouchi could protest that the pair of them had never gotten thrown out of anywhere before, mostly by dint of behaving in the hospital, movement by the door caught his eye and he got to his feet as Anzu, who had been passing on her way back to their table was grabbed by some gun toting lunatic in a prison jumpsuit and the number 777 tattooed across his forehead.

"AWIGHT! ANYONE MAKES A SOUND AND THIS GIRL DIES!" The man, whose hand was over Anzu's mouth and whose gun was pressed to her temple, announced to the entire eatery as someone screamed.

"It's that escaped convict!"

"Shuddap!" The convict ordered, as Jonouchi and Honda moved to their feet, needing to do something to help but unsure what, while Yugi, frozen in horror, watched the scene in front of her. "As soon as my belly's filled, I'll leave, but until then you're staying with me." He informed Anzu, who tried to say something, only to have the gun pressed harder against her skin, causing her to shake with fear as he looked around and snatched the yellow ribbon off of the head of the girl who had been seating customers.

"Blindfold yourself with this." He ordered, as, with trembling hands, Anzu took it from him, "I hear humans get so terrified when they can't see that they can't make a sound. They do the same to prisoners right before they execute them." He chuckled, a low sinister sound, "I should know, I'm on Death Row."

"Bastard." Jonouchi muttered as Anzu followed the convict's instructions.

The convict looked around and smirked as he spotted the table that was empty except for Yugi and made his way down, dragging Anzu with him and parting the crowds with a look. Even Jonouchi and Honda moved aside, though Jonouchi grabbed Yugi's arm and pulled Yugi behind him before he did so, shielding her with his larger mass, unwilling to risk getting Anzu shot.

"Now I just need someone to take my order and I'm set," The convict said as he pushed Anzu into the seat that had been opposite Yugi and smirked as he looked around, enjoying the looks of anger and fear that were directed his way. He considered the crowd carefully, before gesturing towards Jonouchi, "Oi. Brat."

Jonouchi stepped forward but the convict pointed his gun at the huge blonde, "Not you, the boy you're protecting. The wimpy one."

Jonouchi scowled but let go of Yugi's arm, allowing her to step around him and face the convict, shaking slightly with fear for her friend.

"You can take my orders." The convict smirked, his gun now aimed at Yugi, "Everyone else down on the floor."

"But..." Someone spoke up, only for the convict to put a bullet in the ceiling, causing everyone to shut up and drop to the floor.

"Now, kid, I want booze and cigarettes, Lucky Sevens, the perfect brand for a guy like me!" He told Yugi, who nodded and darted off, returning with a rather heavy tray with a full bottle of vodka, a packet of Lucky Sevens and a lighter, that made Yugi hiss slightly as her wrists ached.

Before she could get back to the table Anzu shot to her feet. "Yugi? It's you isn't it?" Anzu asked, her voice trembling, "Stay back Yugi! It's too dangerous!"

"Shut your mouth!" The convict was on his feet in a heartbeat and he slapped Anzu so hard that she went crashing into the table before bouncing off and slamming into the seat.

"Anzu!" Jonouchi thought he saw the Puzzle glow briefly when Yugi cried out, though he couldn't see very well from where he was knelt and saw her posture change, but he didn't know what she had planned.

"Bring that tray over here! Now!" The convict demanded of her, pointing his gun at her friend as he did so.

Furious ruby red eyes watched him carefully as she passed her friends and walked over to where he was sat, putting the tray down and emptying the contents onto the table before sitting opposite him.

"Who said that you could sit down?" The convict growled, aiming at her instead in his fury.

She had no patience for his attitude. No one laid a hand on her friends. He would pay for what he'd done, there was no mistake about that.

"I've brought you what you asked for." She told him, her tone full of confidence and a smirk on her face, willing the criminal to fall straight into her trap, "I thought I'd help you pass the time. Let's play a game."

The criminal was stunned. Now the brat was talking, he understood that he was actually a she and that she wasn't the push over that he'd assumed she was.

Anzu on the other hand was confused. This woman sounded like Yugi, but her voice was slightly deeper and her tone and inflection was all different. Whoever this woman was, she was insane to talk to someone with a gun like she was.

"A game, eh?" The convict asked finally, his anger turning to amusement, "Could be interesting." He gestured for her to continue as he put a cigarette in his mouth and picked up the bottle of Russian vodka.

"The game has only one rule, and the loser will die." She continued in 'matter of fact' tone that was completely unconcerned as she kicked her bag across the corridor to the blonde that had been protecting her, intriguing the convict even further.

"Then let's hear it." He smirked as he started pouring, more than willing to blow this girl away the moment that they'd played her foolish game.

"As long as we're sat opposite each other we may each only move one of our ten fingers, any one we chose, but once the game starts we can't change it."

"Well that's simple." The convict chuckled, "I'll pick my index finger. It's the only one I'll need to blow you away."

"Ok." She nodded in response, "Then I pick my thumb. Once the game starts we're free to do anything we like. You could even pull the trigger if you like."

At another time, in another situation, he could like this chick, the convict decided as she picked up the lighter, it was a shame he was going to have to blow her away.

"Ready?" She asked, "Game Start."

"And in an instant it's game over!" The convict crowed, pausing when she flicked open the lid of the lighter. He'd forgotten that he needed a light. "Tch, forgot to ask for a lighter." He said with a snort, "Fine, the last thing you can do with that thumb is light my cigarette, then I'll kill you."

Calmly, casually, she reached across the table and lit the cigarette, seeming unconcerned about the danger, then, in a move that started the convict she dropped the still lit lighter onto the hand the convict was using to hold the gun.

"You can keep the lighter." She told him as she sat back, "Take it with you to hell."

It was only then that he noticed that he was still pouring the Russian vodka, which was 120 proof, 90% alcohol and that it was slowly running off of the table and into his lap. What was worse was that if he fired his gun the lighter would fall and set him on fire.

"But... my luck..."

"Come on Anzu." The girl grabbed the wrist of the blindfolded teen and the pair ran for it as the lit cigarette fell onto the vodka drenched table and the convict burst into flames, screaming in agony.

When she released Anzu's wrist, rubbing her own aching one, Anzu reached up and untied the blindfold, trying not to listen to the continuing screams of the convict, as she did so, only to be shocked to find Yugi in front of her.

It had been Yugi who had challenged the convict to such a dangerous game? That wasn't possible... was it?

"Y...Yugi?"

"Anzu!" Bright amethyst eyes practically danced as Yugi gave her a delighted smile, which died down when her eyes rested on the inferno that had been the convict, whose screams had died down to whimpers though the flames were still burning hot and bright. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Yugi, Anzu." Jonouchi and Honda moved to their sides, "You're both ok?"

"I'm fine." Anzu nodded, still shaking slightly, "But who was it that saved me?" She asked, looking around.

"I don't know. She's gone now." Jonouchi replied, knowing full damn well that the girl that he'd seen challenge the convict wasn't the Yugi that was in front of him now. Before he could ask any questions the police had swooped on them and hauled Yugi and Anzu off to get statements.

The police took Anzu home in a car once they were done with the questioning and, no longer in the mood for video games, Honda took off the first chance he could, leaving Yugi and Jonouchi to walk back to the shop.

Jonouchi considered the girl walking with him carefully, unsure how to broach the subject of what had happened today. He knew what he'd seen and if it had been anyone else that he'd seen set someone on fire, he'd have probably been running for the hills right about now.

But this was Yugi and he wanted to know what the hell was going on, because the Yugi he knew wasn't willing to hurt anyone, yet alone _**set them on fire...**_

"Yugi?" He asked as he stopped walking, not using her nickname for once, wondering if here too she would deny knowing what had happened, just as she had claimed to have no idea what had happened on the roof with the thugs. She turned to look at him, a concerned look on her face. "What the hell happened today?"

"What do you...?" She trailed off when she saw the look Jonouchi was giving her and looked at the floor and started walking again. Jonouchi grabbed her wrist, realised his mistake when she hissed in pain, and transferred his grip to her lower arm, wheeling her around to face him.

"I'm talking about the game you played with the convict." Jonouchi growled at her.

"I didn't..." Yugi protested, shaking her head, scared, having been afraid that she'd done something during her blackout.

"I know what I saw Yugi." Jonouchi growled, "You got him to set himself on fire!"

"I couldn't... I wouldn't..." Yugi yelped, shocked, shaking her head so hard Jonouchi was half convinced it would fall off, trying to back away from him but unable to because of his grip on her arm, "I didn't..." Her denials were being to sound less like denials and more like she was trying to convince herself, "Jou?"

"Yes, Yuge?" Jonouchi asked, feeling guilty when he heard the way Yugi's voice wavered and saw how frightened she was.

"I don't remember what happened after he smacked Anzu... I didn't..." She froze at look that Jonouchi was giving her, "I don't remember playing any game, Jou, I..." She looked away, shaking for a moment, then...

"You?" She asked, tired ruby eyes considering him, confusion obvious. "You're the one scaring her?

"You're not Yugi, are you?" Jonouchi demanded, refusing to let go of her but wary. This was, after all, the...thing... who had set the convict on fire and, he assumed, taken down the six goons on the roof. "Who are you? More importantly what are you and what the hell are you doing inside my friend's body?"

"Jonouchi..." Hesitation crossed her features.

"I want answers and I want them now." Jonouchi didn't back down, "Especially considering you killed someone today and you did it while in my friend's body."

"He would have killed both of us. Me, and Anzu." There was no shame at all in her voice, in fact she looked proud of what she'd done as she tried to shake off Jonouchi's grip only for it to tighten, "I did it to save both our lives." She growled at him.

Jonouchi scowled slightly at the casual way that Not-Yugi described Yugi's life as her own. Red eyes … demon eyes. Could the thing possessing Yugi be some sort of Yokai? A Kitsune perhaps, they were rumoured to possess people... "You didn't answer my question, who and what are you?"

"If I could tell you I would, but I don't know who I am!" Not-Yugi snapped back, "I know what I was! I was human, but I've been trapped inside the Puzzle for so long I don't remember anything else! The only name I remember using belongs to the girl whose vessel I share!"

"You're not sharing it, you're taking it without her permission!" Jonouchi snarled at her. "And you're leaving her with huge gaps in her memory!"

"Do you think I _like_ the fact I can't talk to her!" Not-Yugi erupted, the Puzzle reacting to her anger by glowing brightly, causing Jonouchi to let go and back off about a foot, "That my actions scare her when all I'm trying to do is protect her? She saved me from thousands of years of darkness and pain and I can't even thank her properly!" She realised that Jonouchi had backed off and took a deep breath, centring herself, and the glow from the Puzzle died down.

"Thousands?" Jonouchi asked slowly, wondering if he'd heard that right. Her outburst had been all too real for him to suspect that she was playing for sympathy, which made him wonder if she'd been telling the truth about not knowing her own name.

"I remember the desert sands. I remember stone buildings and I remember symbols that could be used as letters. That's all that I know about my past. When She first completed the Puzzle I dealt with that dog Ushio, and then tried to find something, anything that might help me remember and the only thing that looked even vaguely like anything I remember is something called Hieroglyphs that I found in one of Her Grandfather's books."

"Hieroglyphs?" Jonouchi asked, trying to remember what was predominantly on Mutou-Sensei's shelves and trying not to connect the dots between Ushio's insanity and her 'dealing' with him, "Egyptian Hieroglyphs?"

Not-Yugi nodded.

"You're Ancient Egyptian?" Jonouchi's question was less a question and more a thought process, "It makes sense. You were sealed in the Puzzle and Gramps said it's Egyptian..." Jonouchi paused and realised he was getting distracted, "I'm still angry at you. I don't know how it worked in your time, but in ours you can't just dish out whatever 'justice' you feel is necessary, not while in Yugi's body. If someone sees you, Yugi's the one whole will be in trouble. You can't keep risking her safety like that!"

"You would." Not-Yugi, and he needed to come with a name for her if she didn't know her own, pointed out, "You did. You can't tell me you didn't enjoy taking down Hirutani for what he did to Us." She indicated the body she was in.

"Us?" Jonouchi demanded.

"It turns out there's only so much pain we can shield from each other." She sighed, "I tried to protect her from it, but..." She shuddered slightly, the memory of Yugi's agonised screams echoing around her head.

"If you could blast them like that," Jonouchi said, referencing the blast that sent Hirutani flying, "Why didn't you do it sooner?"

"I tried when they were taking us to that warehouse, but the state of the body doesn't change when someone else takes control and She'd been strangled, beaten up and had her head slammed against a wall hard, which meant I took control of a nauseous, dizzy, bruised body." Jonouchi paled at this reminder of the injuries she'd sustained, "And once we were tied up it was better to take as much of the pain as I could, rather than prove too much of a nuance to hold prisoner and..."

Jonouchi made an understanding noise, wondering why it sounded like she spoke from experience when she had had no experience before that night, "Then why did you...?"

"You were there and I knew you'd free us." Not-Yugi said, with a small smile in his direction, then she shrugged, "That and even if the first kiss wasn't such a big thing in your culture, no one lays a hand on Us without Our permission."

Jonouchi considered the woman who was possessing his friend. She claimed not to know who she was, but she didn't act uncertain or afraid. In fact she gave orders, talked and goaded people into doing things her way and looked after those important to her. She was, by every definition that he understood, acting like a leader.

But if she was right she was Ancient Egyptian and from what very little he knew about them he knew that she couldn't have been a leader, not unless she'd pretended to be a guy. He'd have to ask Gramps about it, the question was how.

"Listen." She told him, "If I could tell Her who I am and why I'm doing what I'm doing, I would. I don't want to scare her but she needs protection and I owe her everything, so I'm going to keep defending her. You understand that right?"

Jonouchi nodded, understanding. "As long as you understand that I'll be trailing you from now on. I'm not going to let you get Yuge into trouble."

She chuckled, nodding her understanding, "I wouldn't expect anything else from Her friend and bodyguard." She paused, considering him a moment longer, then spoke again, "What are you going to tell Her?"

"I don't know." He admitted, "It's not like I can tell her she has an Ancient Egyptian body snatcher." He sighed, "I'll have to come up with something."

"Tell Her this." She said, "Her friends are in no danger from her blackouts."

"Is that a promise?" Jonouchi asked, wondering how open and honest the woman was being with him.

"If I hurt Her or any of her friends, I will smash the Puzzle myself."

Jonouchi stared at her, wondering if she meant to reveal the weakness, then he nodded and, with a flash of the Puzzle he found himself looking at Yugi, whose face went from concerned to panicked in moments.

"Jou? Are you ok?" Yugi asked, purple eyes wide, fear obvious as she took in the gap between her and her friend. "Did I...?"

"I'm ok, Yuge." Jonouchi promised her, "And I always will be. You won't hurt your friends, ever." He smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder reassuringly, "If it helps at all, I'm going to make sure that nothing like today happens again, ok?"

"But what if..."

"It won't happen again, I won't let it." 'Even if I have to smash the Puzzle and throw the pieces in the viaduct again.' He kept the latter to himself.

Yugi just nodded and went quiet. Jonouchi sighed and ushered his friend down the road towards the Game Shop.

"Hey, still interested in playing some Tomb Raider when we get back?"

Yugi blinked at him, then gave him a small, concerned smile, "I don't know if it's a..."

"Suck it up, Yuge." Jonouchi glowered at her as it started raining, "I get why you're scared, but you have to remember three things. One, that man was on Death Row. Two, he would have killed you and Anzu even if you'd followed his instructions to the letter and three, I'm not afraid of your Room Mate, so I'm not going anywhere."

"My Room Mate?" Yugi's voice wavered as she asked, causing Jonouchi to want to bang his head against the nearest wall.

"You just had a blackout, remember?" He asked her, "You and her? Completely different."

"I'm insane." Yugi looked resigned, as if she'd already considered that.

"No. No." Jonouchi shook his head, "Look, I'll tell you the full story when we get back to the shop, ok?" When Yugi hesitated, Jonouchi sighed and pushed her forward, causing her to start moving. "Trust me. You're not insane. Now let's get you home before you catch a cold."


	6. Fortune Told

Yugi couldn't sleep.

It had been bad enough when she'd thought her blackouts were a product of a mental instability or some illness, but last night Jonouchi had told her something. Something that had frightened her more than those options would have.

She was regularly possessed by an Ancient Egyptian spirit. A spirit that she had released from the Millennium Puzzle when she had completed it, who was trying to protect her in return for her freedom, who was willing to kill to protect her...

It terrified her.

She didn't know what to do. Jou had promised her that the spirit who had been taking control of her body had sworn never to harm her friends, but that wasn't enough to settle Yugi's mind. She didn't want to hurt anyone and she didn't want anyone hurt because of her. But she couldn't bring herself to disassemble the Puzzle and trap the spirit back in the dark, not when, if what Jou had told her was true, the poor spirit had suffered greatly before Yugi had solved the Puzzle.

She didn't want to wear the Puzzle, but she didn't want to leave the spirit trapped again...

"Yugi?" Yugi froze as her concerned grandfather poked his head around the door, having seen the light peeking under her door. "Are you alright?"

"I... I'm ok. I just... can't sleep." Yugi stammered, not wanting to worry her Grandfather and hoping that her pacing hadn't woken him up.

Her Grandfather moved into the room, smiling at her reassuringly as he went to pick the Puzzle up off of the floor, noticing the way she tensed up when he touched it. "Come on, I'll make you something to drink." He said as he left the Puzzle on the desk and ushered her out of the room.

"You don't have to..." Yugi trailed off as her Grandfather left her by the sofa and slipped into the kitchen, sitting down as she heard the kettle boiling, her thoughts jumping back aboard their previous train.

Sugoroku paused in the doorway as he saw his granddaughter looking scared and lost.

He'd known that the Puzzle was dangerous, and it wasn't hard to put together recent events and the Puzzle's completion, but his Granddaughter had needed it. Before she'd had it, she'd been a bully magnet, she'd had no social life and she'd been lonely. The Puzzle had been good for her, but he could understand why she was frightened. He should take it away from her, lock it in the store safe where it wouldn't cause any more trouble, but he wouldn't - and not just because it's was Yugi's choice what to do with it.

When he'd played the Ultimate Shadow Game he'd been shot by his guide, who had swiftly fallen to the monsters inside the tomb. He'd nearly fallen to his death then, but he'd been rescued by someone in Ancient Egyptian garb who had looked almost exactly like Yugi, if you could see past the skin and eye colour. Someone who had called him Siamun and told him that she'd been waiting for him a long time...

And that had been decades before Yugi had been born. When his granddaughter had looked like the spirit that had saved him, even at just six years old, he had known that the Puzzle was meant to go to her. He just hadn't expected it to take her eight years to complete it.

"Yugi." The girl jumped a mile and turned to look at him, eyes even wider than usual as he came to sit next to her, passing her a mug of tea which she took without comment, staring down into the mug without really seeing it.

Sugoroku put his hand on Yugi's arm, causing Yugi to jump again and splash herself with the hot liquid, dropping the mug as she let out a pained cry, spilling tea everywhere.  
Her grandfather pulled her straight into the kitchen, putting the scalded area under the tap in the sink and putting on the cold water.

"Sorry." Yugi mumbled as the water ran over the injured area.

"What's wrong?"

"N...Nothing..." Yugi shook her head.

"You were miles away." Sugoroku shook his head, "And you are not normally that clumsy."

"Grandpa... I..." Yugi tried to look away but the elderly gamer caught his granddaughter's chin and turned her to face him, or at least tried. She pulled away the moment his fingers brushed her skin, fear obvious, memories darkening her eyes as he caught her arm before she could retreat too far.

"Yugi! Yugi it's me." She shuddered and blinked, light returning to scared amethyst eyes as it sunk in who had grabbed her. "Easy."

"I'm scared." She admitted, "I don't know what to do..."

"What do you think you should do?"

Yugi stared at him. She had no idea. What did someone do in a situation like this?

"What does your heart tell you you should do?"

Yugi paused to think about it and think about it hard. She was frightened of the spirit, it was true, but from what Jou had told her the spirit was only trying to protect her and he'd promised her that he wouldn't let something like today happen again.

Surely, considering everything she had been through before Yugi had solved the Puzzle, the spirit deserved a second chance...

"It's alright to be afraid, but I should try again." Yugi murmured, talking more to herself then her Grandfather, "At least once more."

"Good." Sugoroku nodded, "Now put that burn back under the water for a few more minutes and I'll be back with some bandages."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jonouchi had been staying at the game shop, helping out Yugi's grandfather ever since she went into hospital two weeks ago. He was surprised to see her wearing the Puzzle the next day, but when he questioned her about it she had just said "Everyone deserves a second chance" and gotten on with packing her bags for school. Considering that he was technically on his third chance there wasn't much he could say about that, so he hadn't, he'd just kept his word that he'd stick close to her and helped her with the morning chores, taking over when she started slowing down because her wrists were sore.

When they'd caught up with Anzu and reached school , they discovered that the entire school was talking about Kokurano, the fortune teller in class 4B. He travelled around with an entourage of pretty girls in odd jewellery, and had successfully predicted several events including a fire at the house of a student in class 7A.

Anzu didn't believe in it, Jou wasn't sure, Honda had no interest in it and Yugi had been sceptical about it. Even now she wasn't sure what she believed. The Puzzle was obviously supernatural, but she'd seen people pull the same trick that Kokurano seemed to pull before. They wrote predictions down and only revealed them the after the act - every time before it had been proved to be fake.

At lunch time, for a bit of fun, Jou dragged her along to see what all the hype was about. In the classroom the fortune teller was predicting people's futures in such a way that it didn't convince Yugi any about a validity of his powers at all. He told one homely girl who asked if her beauty would last forever that she would remain as she was until her death, and another who had asked about their exam results received an answer that basically boiled down to 'it depends how hard you worked'.

"Hey I got one for him to see if he's real or not." Jou whispered to the others, ignoring the glowers that were being sent their way by Kokurano's groupies, "That is if you don't mind, Yugi."

"What are you...?"

"Hey, Kokurano-San." Jou budged his way to the front of the group instead of answering her, "What does..."

Jonouchi trailed off as the world around them shook with a terrifying rumble for a few seconds, causing several people to cry out or scream in surprise. Once the shaking had stopped Kokurano laughed and produced a card out from under his cloak, with 'Earthquake today' written on it.

"See?" The leader of the fangirls crowed, "The Great Kokurano is right every time."

Yugi wasn't so sure but if he wanted to play a game with the girls then it was up to him. It wasn't like anyone was getting hurt by it and Kokurano did seem to be giving everyone he talked to a confidence boost, but... She wasn't sure but there was something off about the way the boy looked at her group of friends and she wasn't sure what it was. Still it was his game, not hers, and he wasn't doing any harm. Besides, there was an unspoken code among magicians, and fortune tellers were part of that – you never reveal the trick.

She spent the rest of the day becoming more and more amused by the tales of the fortune teller, trying to keep her concern about the spirit from the Puzzle from clouding her day too much. After all she'd chosen to give the spirit a second chance and it wasn't like she'd had any blackouts to worry about today. And finally when school ended she, Anzu and Jou gathered by the lockers where Yugi was just slipping her trainers back on when Kokurano and his groupies showed up out of nowhere.

"Mazaki Anzu-San?" Kokurano asked, watching Anzu as the other two paused in their efforts to get ready to leave to watch the conversation, "I must admit I'm surprised. You're the only female student who hasn't been to see me. I just wondered why?"

"I'm sorry." Anzu didn't seem very sorry, "But we create our own futures. I don't believe in fortune telling."

"How rude." The Leader of the Groupies complained, "You doubt Kokurano-Sama's powers?"

"Whether I believe or not is my choice." Anzu shot back, unwilling to be pushed around by some floozy, "I'm not getting pushed into getting my fortune told. Come on guys." With that Anzu grabbed the loop on Yugi's backpack and started dragging her out the door, causing the girl to let out a startled cry as Jou followed, a highly amused look on his face.  
Behind them Kokurano gained a vicious looking smirk.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Yugi was sat out of PE.

She had her kit with her and had gotten changed as she'd been told, but the doctor's note she had excused her from activities like tennis so she was watching Anzu play against a lilac-haired girl from their class called Miho.

Her mind kept straying back to what had happened in the corridor though. Jou had been complaining because he and Honda had to do Judo, while the girls had tennis when Kokurano had shown up and started throwing around predictions, just like he had tried to do the day previous.

Apparently he'd had two 'visions'.

One was of Jou. Something about 'be wary of lights coming at you' while the other had been aimed at Anzu, who, apparently, had 'someone looking after' her 'from afar' and if she wanted more information to come and see him. Neither vision was particularly detailed and Yugi half suspected that they too were fake, but it had made her wonder if, in the Puzzle spirit's time there had been people trying to pull the same con.

Anzu had just darted over to the water trough to damp her towel and cool off, Yugi joining her, concerned at the distracted look on her friend's face when one of the other girls ran over to see them.

"Did you two hear what happened in the gym?" The pair wheeled around, shaking their heads, concerned, knowing that was where the guys were doing judo, "A light fell from the ceiling, Jonouchi-Kun nearly got hurt!"

Yugi froze as Anzu and the other girls started talking. It had to be a coincidence... or did it? Maybe Kokurano actually had some kind of powers... After all if the Puzzle could hold a spirit... Still...

After school Anzu went to see Kokurano-San and Yugi and Jou went with her, concerned considering what had happened in PE.

Yugi began to have her doubts again when Kokurano pulled a strip of paper out from under his cloak that told of Anzu's visit. It wasn't a hard guess to make considering the events of the day and it was quite possible that Kokurano had written various strips with different times of the day on, just so he looked like he was predicting it... still it was still his game and his rules and she didn't want to break them. Not unless it endangered her friends.

"So, can you tell me about the vision you saw of me?" Anzu asked as Jou sat back on the teacher's desk and watched, keeping an eye on Yugi rather than anyone else in the room. 

Yugi may have trusted the ancient spirit but that didn't mean Jou did properly. It was why he missed the disgust on Anzu's face when Kokurano started fondling her hand. "I see it! I see it! The person you're waiting to see will appear at six o'clock in classro..."

Something in Yugi snapped at the look on her friend's face. 

"Leave her alone you fraud." Yugi snapped as she pulled her friend's hand out of Kokurano's grip, earning herself a shocked look from Anzu and a screech from behind her as Jou pushed the desk back slightly in his haste to get to his feet again.

"It's okay, Yugi." Anzu told her friend, surprised by Yugi's forcefulness.

"You stupid boy. I was in the middle of a vision before you so rudely interrupted." Kokurano glowered at Yugi, who for once didn't back down instantly.

"I'm a girl." Yugi glowered back at him, surprising herself by her actions as much as she shocked the others, "Not a guy."

"Predicted that wrong." Behind her, Jou sounded amused.

Kokurano looked stunned as he looked her over, eyes widening for a moment as he looked at her properly. His fangirls seemed almost as surprised, most having assumed she was with the girls for PE because it was dangerous to have someone her size playing sports with the guys.

"So you're the girl from the vision!" He proclaimed to one and all, recovering quickly, "Countless letters will fall from heaven and a great misfortune will befall you!" Yugi hesitated as he smirked at her, anger having burnt out quickly and not expecting that response from Kokurano, "You should be careful."

"Ah stow it Kokurano." Jou snorted, grabbing Yugi's arm with one hand and ushering Anzu out the door with the other. "We should be... Anzu?" He asked when the brunette shook his hand off and turned towards the classrooms. "You don't really believe him, do you?"

"I don't know." Anzu admitted. "It could just be a stalker or something but..."

"Come on." Jou looked unimpressed, "'The Person You're Waiting to See'? Could be anyone!"

Anzu didn't agree though. She wanted to know more about this mystery person. She just hoped it wasn't the crazy lady from the burger place a couple of days earlier. "I'll meet you guys at the lockers." She waved them off and darted down the corridor. Jou frowned after her, but led Yugi towards the lockers only to get distracted halfway there by a book lying around on the floor. They had time before meeting Anzu, so they decided to take it back to the school library.

"Now where does Countless Letters..." Yugi murmured, then trailed off, going white as the implications hit her and she heard a bang.

Jou let out a startled yelp as a Yugi-shaped cannonball hit him and knocked him out of the path of the falling bookshelves before vanishing itself under books, shelving units and dust.

"Yuge!" Jou called, turning around the moment he'd recovered from hitting the floor, worried when he didn't see her, only to find a red eyed, furious looking Yugi without her jacket just about crawling out of the gap between one bookcase and the next. "Not-Yuge. Hey." He darted forward and helped her to her feet, "Are you alright?"

"Another minute to figure out 'Countless Letters' and we'd be dead." She growled, before pausing and looking at him properly, "Jonouchi." She nodded at him, "We're fine... however Kokurano is obviously making his predictions come true. I'm going to challenge him. You have a problem with that?"

"Hey, he just tried to kill us. As long as he's alive at the end of it, we're golden." Jou shrugged and shook his head, "Sane would be even better."

She paused, amused by this sudden change in attitude, "I thought I wasn't supposed to deliver my own brand of 'justice' anymore?" She asked as they darted out of the book room and towards the classrooms, knowing her other self had been uncomfortable with Kokurano's actions towards Anzu earlier in the day.

"Let me put it this way." He told her as he tried to work out which classroom Anzu would be in, "If you don't challenge him, I'm going to beat him black and blue."

She smirked as she nodded, but the look didn't last very long as they heard a muffled cry. She darted in that direction, leaving Jou to catch up. When he did he didn't like the scene he found.

Not-Yugi was glowering at Kokurano, who had a semi-conscious Anzu in his arms and was giving her a shocked look.

"But you're supposed to be..."

"You plan failed, Kokurano." She growled as Jou stepped into the room, threateningly, making Kokurano hand over Anzu, "And it's not just your prediction about me that was fake. The fire and the light in the gym that nearly killed Jou. That was all you too."

"What do you mean?" Kokurano demanded, realising he'd been caught.

"If you want to play dumb then fine." She snorted, looking at Jou who moved aside swiftly, watching warily as Not-Yugi moved towards the fake Fortune Teller, "But you and I are going to play a game."

"Why should I play with you?"

"Because if you don't I'm going to tell everyone that your predictions are false and I'll have proof too." She smirked at him.

Jou watched as she set up the game swiftly and efficiently, using what was to hand, a bunch of papers and the half full bottle of chloroform Kokurano had used to drug Anzu, then shook the brunette, worried about her. "Anzu? Anzu!"

Anzu wanted to respond, but her limbs felt heavy, like her mind had woken up but her body hadn't yet, like she was suffering from sleep paralysis. The woman from the burger place was back again but once again she couldn't see her. She both wanted to thank and slap her at the same time, but she couldn't do anything but listen as the game progressed.

Anzu had one question though. Why was Jonouchi with this mad woman?

"Come on Kokurano." The woman chuckled as she took her turn pulling a sheet out and the bottle spun across the table, stopping just centimetres from the edge of the table with all the sheets underneath it impossible to pull out unless he pulled in the direction of the table's edge. "If you're so powerful take your turn. I'm sure that a powerful psychic like you can make the bottle float by itself."

Kokurano hesitated as he looked from her confident smirk to the bottle at the edge of the table. He could so this. He could still win. He concentrated hard and the bottle started floating in midair...

He wasn't a fraud. He wasn't...

"Ha!" He crowed, "Look!" He pointed at it, "Look it's floating!"

He pulled a sheet out from underneath it...

And collapsed as the bottle fell to the floor and smashed, the fumes that rose causing the fraud to pass out.

"I didn't even have to use any magic." She chuckled at Jou as she spread his cloak wide, revealing all of the 'fortunes' that he had written days in advance. The blonde teen looked shocked but couldn't help but be impressed as she came over to his side and with a concern that surprised Jou she asked, "How is Anzu?"

"I think she's okay." Jou replied, concern obvious, "But she hasn't responded at all. The chloroform must of hit her hard." Anzu felt herself being scooped up, only for the person carrying her to freeze momentarily, "You have magic?"

"Some. I'm still working out what I can do." The woman sounded amused by Jou's shock, "How did you think I took down all those thugs? It's not like I could have knocked them all out myself."

The next question surprised Anzu. It wasn't 'who are you?' or 'what are you talking about?' it was, "Does Yugi have magic?"

"If she doesn't I'll be very surprised." The woman sounded thoughtful, "I don't remember much, but I remember something about those of light being incredibly powerful."

"Light?" Jou asked, confusion obvious, then, "Thanks for saving my ass in the book room."

"You should thank Her." The woman sounded a combination of impressed and amused, "She's the one that knocked you out of the way. I didn't wake up until after the bookcases had already fallen." She paused, "Tell Her her jacket's stuck under the bookcase, please? I had to shrug it off to get out safely."

"I will." Jou trembled slightly as he spoke, making Anzu wondered who they were talking about and what, exactly, had happened, "We should get..."

"Are you both alright?" Yugi had apparently arrived and sounded worried, though her next words confused Anzu no end, "My Other Self didn't...?"

"We're fine. It was Kokurano, not your friend who drugged Anzu. She didn't even harm him." The way Jou said 'him' gave Anzu the impression that Jou was glowering at Kokurano, wherever he'd gone, "Thanks for saving my butt in the book room."

"Y...you'd do the same for me." Yugi sounded embarrassed, "Does Anzu need to see the nurse?"

Anzu concentrated hard and was relieved when her fingers moved. Nor was she the only one.

"Anzu!" Yugi sounded relieved and delighted at the same time.

"You awake Anzu?" Jou asked, his tone one of concern.

Anzu tried to speak, to reassure the pair, but all that came out was a soft groan.

"I'll take that as a yes." Jou sniggered, "Come on, Yuge, let's get sleeping beauty to your house."

"What about Kokurano? We shouldn't just leave him lying on the floor..." Typical Yugi, concerned for everyone.

"Why not? He would have just left your mate passed out on the floor if she'd lost." Jou asked and Anzu was personally inclined to agree with him for a change.

"But..." Yugi sounded hesitant.

"Come on Yuge." Anzu felt herself behind shifted and then there was a back pressed against one of the hands carrying her, pushing the back forwards, ushering the owner out of the room, "We should go. Before a teacher comes..."

"Alright..."

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Ow!"

Anzu shifted to look at the door of Yugi's bedroom at Yugi's pained yelp, concerned for her friend, before pausing, delighted when she realised that she could move finally.

"You should get that looked at Yuge." Jou's voice echoed down the corridor as Anzu pulled off the covers and headed towards the sound of the voice. "You had a bookcase fall on you."

"I'm ok. It didn't touch..."

"Don't give me that. Your Other Self had to crawl out from between two bookcases and you're wincing when you move. You got hurt. Didn't you?"

"It's not important Jou." Anzu could hear the dismissal in Yugi's voice even as she wondered what the pair of them meant when they said talked about Yugi's 'Other Self'.

"It is important, Yuge. You should get it looked at."

"It's just a bruise." Yugi protested, "I'm ok. I'm more worried about you and Anzu."

"Don't be. You saved my butt and your Other Self took down Kokurano before he could to do anything to Anzu. We're... Anzu?" Jou looked surprised and worried as Anzu walked into the room.

"Other Self?" She asked Yugi, who blanched, having thought that Anzu was still in her bedroom.

"Uh did I say Other Self? I meant uhhh..." Jou tried to think on his feet. "Inner Elf?"

"Inner Elf?" Anzu gave him a derogatory look, "Is that really the best that you could come up with?"

"I'm bad at thinking on my feet." Jou protested.

"That's obvious." Anzu snorted, "Yugi, what's going on? Really?"

"I...uhhh..." Yugi really, really didn't want to tell her, but...

"Yugi. The truth. Please. You trust me. Don't you?"

Jou saw Yugi wince and scowled at the brunette, who glowered back, knowing full well that Anzu was aiming directly at Yugi's weak spots. "Leave her alone Anzu. It's not her fault."

"Why do you know about this? Why don't I?" Anzu wheeled around to glower at Yugi. "I thought we were friends."

"We are!" Yugi protested.

"Then tell me what's happening!"

"Anzu, calm down." Jou started as Yugi's eyes changed colour and her tone grew slightly deeper, "Calm down and I'll explain everything."

"You!" Anzu stared, backing up, "I know your voice... You... in the restaurant... and earlier..."

"Anzu. It's okay." Jou grabbed Anzu's arm and held her in place. "Just listen to what she has to say. Please!"

"W...who are you and what have you done with Yugi!" Anzu demanded, her voice shaking as she looked at the woman who looked so much like her friend.

"Yugi's fine. She's asleep, right here." The woman put a hand over her chest, where her heart would be, "We can't be awake at the same time, not right now. Maybe once I'm stronger, but for now..."

"What do you... I don't understand."

"She's an Ancient Egyptian Spirit, Anzu." Jou told the girl, having expected her to freak out like this if and when she found out, "She was trapped inside the Puzzle for thousands of years until Yugi freed her. She's the one that's been kicking ass and taking names in Yugi's defence for the last couple of months."

Anzu stared from him to the woman possessing Yugi and back again, then she did what most people would do in her place. She fainted.

"Well..." Jou said as he darted forward and caught Anzu, "That could have gone worse."

"We should have hidden it better."

"No offence Oneesan," Jonouchi said the last jokingly, with a huge grin, "But you're not exactly the most subtle person around. She'd have found out sooner or later."

"Oneesan?" The spirit asked, looking amused.

"Well you act like an over protective big sister, why not? I have to call you something."

"Well, Ototo," She shot back, amusing Jou even further when she called him little brother, "What would you suggest?"

"I suggest we start by waiting till Anzu wakes up and tell her everything. And I do mean everything." He gave the spirit a sharp look. She frowned slightly, but nodded, "And then we work it out from there."

"Complicated plan you have there." The spirit chuckled.

"Well, if you can think of something better, Oneesan, I'd love to hear it." Jonouchi grouched back.

"I have a few ideas."

Before she could tell him anything Anzu woke up, her eyes shooting towards Oneesan who backed off, hands up, trying to look unthreatening.

"Anzu, stay calm." Jonouchi said to Anzu, who was starting to freak again, "She won't hurt us. She needs the Puzzle complete unless she wants to be trapped again and I'll smash it if she attempts anything, okay? Just listen to what we have to say."

"Why...? I want to talk to Yugi."

Oneesan bowed and when she straightened it was Yugi in control. The girl looked around swiftly, relaxing slightly as she did so, and turned to Anzu.

"Are you alright?" Anzu asked, worried.

"I'm ok." Yugi smiled at her, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Anzu snapped at her, "But are you insane?" The brunette teen demanded.

"It would be simpler." Yugi sighed, "I know about the spirit. I know she's dangerous."

"And you're still willing to share your body with her? She set a guy on fire, Yugi!" Anzu snapped.

"I know but..."

"There are mitigating circumstances, Anzu." Jonouchi spoke up when Yugi trailed off, "Just listen and we'll explain everything we know."


	7. It's All Good Fun

When they'd told Anzu that Yugi was possessed by the spirit of a woman from Ancient Egypt, the brunette teenager had thought they were nuts. At least until she'd remembered the way Yugi's eyes and voice had changed. That and the casual way that 'Yugi' had challenged the death row inmate to a game, unconcerned about the fact that the loser of the game would die.

Then she'd been frightened. The spirit, who Jonouchi kept referring to as Oneesan and regularly took over her friend's body, was dangerous, and while she had sworn that she would seal herself away again if she ever hurt Yugi or her friends, she had proved that she was willing to kill to protect her host.

And that was what Yugi was to the ghost. A willing host, but a host none the less. Not friends, or partners, but a vessel to be taken over any time 'Oneesan' wanted. The spirit wasn't pushing her luck on that front, only taking over when Yugi was scared or hurt, but Anzu couldn't help wondering how much of that was self preservation on the spirit's part since without Yugi she wouldn't have a body.

However for all she was frightened of the Puzzle Spirit, she was also worried for Yugi. The girl knew that she was running a huge risk by letting the spirit of the Puzzle take control of her body but because the spirit had, if she was to be believed, been in pain and trapped in the dark for thousand years Yugi was willing to give the spirit a second chance considering the lengths 'Oneesan' was willing to go to to protect her.

'Oneesan's' attitude towards Yugi, that of a protective older sister (she could see where Jonouchi had gotten the nickname from) would have reassured Anzu except that for the woman to be sealed in the way she had for so many years wasn't a good sign.

It did help slightly that while Yugi was willing to take the risk and give the spirit free reign while she was in control of her body, Jonouchi was watching the spirit carefully to make sure there wasn't the possibility of another 'Burger World Incident' and had sworn to make sure that the spirit didn't get Yugi into trouble.

However, until she'd made up her own mind, she wasn't going to decide one way or the other what she was going to do. She had options, lots of them, and she knew that no matter what she decided, even if it hurt Yugi, her friend would understand and the spirit wouldn't be able to do anything about it without having to smash the Puzzle.

And Jonouchi had promised her, when he had walked her home, that if Oneesan didn't smash the Puzzle he would, though he had asked that she not tell Yugi that in case it was necessary. He had helped her work out what she was going to do for the time being and that would be to stick with Yugi until she'd seen for herself what Oneesan was like.  
Yugi's surprised delight when Anzu arrived to collect them from the shop the following day only confirmed that, for now at least, she'd made the right decision.

The full complications of yesterday's events didn't hit her until the three of them walked onto school grounds, only for Honda to meet them at the gates with a warning.  
"They found Kokurano on the floor of Classroom 7A." Honda informed them, "It turned out he was a fraud all along, had a ton of predictions tacked to his cloak. Somehow it's not surprising. I mean there's no such thing as real magic."

He frowned slightly when Jonouchi and Anzu gave each other an odd look and Yugi gained a small, amused smile, but continued on anyway, "Also," He looked at Yugi, "If your aim was to get…"

"Hey Mutou-Kun!" Honda trailed off as a couple of their classmates darted over to the four, "Is it true you're a girl?" One of them asked, giving Yugi the oddest expression.

"Y…Yes." Yugi nodded, confused as to why that was suddenly in question when most generally assumed she was a guy. Her confusion didn't wane any when the pair of students apologised and darted off to talk to another group of students, who turned to watch the group of friends as they passed to go and get ready for class.

"That was what I was about to tell you." Honda sighed, "About the time you threw your 'hissy fit' at Kokurano, where you told him you were a girl, the school's worst gossips were just outside, waiting to have a turn with him and they overheard everything."

"Oh." Yugi nodded her understanding as Honda's explanation cleared up some of her confusion, blushing when some of the other students went quiet when they walked into the locker room and she realised they'd been talking about her.

"This is a good thing though, right?" Jonouchi asked, "I mean people will finally stop mistaking Yuge for a guy."

Honda just snorted, noting the way Yugi was uncomfortable with all the attention that was being directed her way.

"Mazaki-Kun." Anzu jumped and wheeled around to face the speaker, only to find that one of the teachers wanted to have a word with her.

"I'll be back in a second." Anzu promised the guys, gesturing for them to go ahead before turning to the teacher.

"Interesting group of friends you have there, Mazaki." The teacher commented with a raised eyebrow, watching the three of them take off their shoes and disappear down the hallway before speaking again, "The draw for the school festival is tomorrow. Your class has come up with some ideas as to what you're going to be doing, hasn't it?"  
Anzu nodded vigorously, even as she silently cursed the fact that she'd completely forgotten about it, and as class representative that wasn't good enough. Quietly, she thanked whoever was watching out for her, besides Oneesan obviously, that it wasn't Chono-Sensei doing the asking. She would have demanded to know what they were planning to do and Anzu hadn't even brought it up in front of the class yet.

"Good, good. I look forward to seeing your proposal tomorrow." Kenta-Sensei, one of the few decent teachers in their school and unfortunately one who never took their class since he taught the upper years, smiled at her before heading off to his own homeroom.

Anzu quickly changed into her indoor shoes and darted down the halls to her classroom where the students were abuzz with talk about the fake Fortune Teller and Yugi's apparent gender. She didn't spot Yugi until she stood at the front of the class and asked for attention, which was slow coming as everyone took their seats, and Yugi came out from behind Jonouchi, where she'd been hiding from her classmate's questions.

"As you all know," Anzu spoke up as the last of the class settled, "The school festival is coming up and every class will have a stall. We need to decide what we're going to do. If anyone has a good idea, raise your hand."

Hands shot up into the air and Anzu started writing down every suggestion, except for Jonouchi's 'Real High School Girl Cabaret' idea which got him shouted at from every angle. Half of the ideas she could cross off of the list right away, since other classes had taken them, but there were a few left when Anzu spotted Yugi biting her lip and looking as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted to offer her opinion. Since no one could agree on any of the options left on the board, Anzu prodded her friend.

"Yugi?" Everyone's heads turned in the girl's direction and Yugi went bright red in embarrassment. "Do you have a suggestion."

"Uhh…" Yugi started nervously, before gaining slightly more confidence and half asking, "Carnival Games? You know, like an Amusement Park?"

There was silence for a couple of moments then the class started discussing it enthusiastically, trying to work out which games to use. The class had 50,000 Yen as a budget that was given to them by the school, and if they did games like bottle toss, which wouldn't cost anything they could provide plenty of entertainment. Finally they settled on four games, Bottle Toss, a Shooting Gallery, which Honda was happy to provide his air rifle for and as such only really required the cost of the prizes and the setup, 'Bluebeard's Attack!' which was a bit like Pop-Up Pirate and a 'Dunk the Punk' game which was simple enough to set up, especially when Miho was willing to provide the paddling pool and they managed to convince Jonouchi to play the part of the Punk, though, Anzu would learn later on, Honda had to bribe him with much food to get him to do it.

In theory they could do it, if they managed to pull the extras together themselves, just about on budget but it would be tight.

Yugi, who was assigned the task of making the Paper Mache head for the pirate, was just doodling some ideas for it, not really paying attention to what was going on around her when the bell went off. This was unfortunate because when Honda and Jonouchi at lunch time to get food, Yugi got swamped by people asking questions.

"Are you really a girl?"

"How come you never said anything?"

"Why are you wearing the boy's uniform?"

"How long have you been a girl?" The last question earned the speaker a rather odd look.

"Hey! Hey!" Anzu pushed her way through the crowd to Yugi's side Her friend shot her a grateful look as Anzu started shooing people away. "Just because you never bothered to notice Yugi's a girl, doesn't mean you can bother her now."

There was a lot of grumbling and people dispersed, slightly, allowing Yugi some breathing room.

"Thanks Anzu." Yugi gave her friend a watery smile, unnerved by the whispers going on around her as she pulled out her bento.

"Ignore them. This was going to happen sooner or later. Better now then when you catch up to the rest of us." Yugi just let out a soft snort, unsure she'd ever match up to the other girls. "Besides," Anzu continued, "If they hadn't worked it out by now, they're all idiots." The last was said loudly enough to earn herself some dirty looks from a few of the class, but was generally ignored.

Before Jonouchi and Honda returned from the canteen, Yugi slipped off to the bathroom, thoroughly sick of the whispering and thinking she could get away from it if she used the loo, only to find that a couple of girls walked in, gossiping about her there too.

"Of course the entire school is talking about the cross dresser." One of them was saying with a derogatory snort, "I even heard a couple of the guys discussing how cute she is."  
"What they see in the freak is…" The second one trailed off as Yugi exited her stall and washed her hands, her face flushed with a combination of embarrassment and irritation. She'd kind of expected the bitchiness, it was a staple of the teenage girl's diet, but it would take some getting used to, considering that it hadn't been directly aimed her before. At least not in her hearing.

Still it made her wonder what other students were really thinking. It wasn't like she could deny the 'cross dresser' claims even if it was only because she couldn't afford a bespoke uniform and as for a couple of the guys thinking she was cute, they had to be thinking of the wrong girl. Honda had said she was cute, but he didn't count since he'd been trying to make up to her for bullying her, Anzu had to be nice to her since she was her friend and no one else had ever approached her except for Hirutani who had only kissed her to piss off Jonouchi. Not that she wanted Hirutani's interest. Ever.

The sick feeling returned briefly as the scene played over in her head, but it didn't last long as she was startled out of her thoughts by a hand slamming against the locker in front of her, causing her to jump a mile and turn to see who it was.

"Hey." Jonouchi gave her a concerned look as she calmed herself down, "You okay? You seem a bit out of it today."

Yugi just nodded and gave Jou a watery smile, causing him to frown slightly as he and Honda escorted her back to their tutor room. She wasn't really sure how she felt. She hadn't really been thinking when she'd snapped at Kokurano and she hadn't really thought about the repercussions of the entire school finally finding out she was a girl. As such she hadn't really been ready for the fallout from her outburst.

Still she had her friends and that had been enough when she'd been considered as a wimpy brat by the majority of the school and she would have to hope that it would be enough now, while her classmates adjusted to the fact that instead of a wimpy guy she was, in fact, a tiny girl. If anything it would stop the guys asking her to play things like basketball and football, she just hoped she wasn't going to be expected to join in the girls' conversations about guys and make up. She was kind of hoping, once everything settled down, that things would go back to the way they had been, where she'd been ignored and left to her own devices, except by her friends, while the school continued on around her. Of course that would be a while, at least until the next big thing set of the rumour mill again.

If it was anything like normal the big stir about her being a girl would have gone down by tomorrow, probably replaced in everyone's mind by something about some big celebrity, or some stupid thing that one of the boys had done... On the other hand, her luck had never been that good.

Yugi followed the guys back to the classroom and took a seat just in time for the tutor, Chono-Sensei, to walk in. Yugi watched the woman warily. The Wicked Witch of Expel, as she was known, had gotten fifteen students kicked out of school in the last six months alone and, unfortunately, they had all been under achievers, like Jonouchi and Honda.  
Not that Yugi or Anzu were safe either, Chono-Sensei was notorious for being one of the strictest teachers in the school, plus she had even, when Yugi had first come into her class, attempted to get Yugi expelled over her uniform until it had been categorically proved that it wasn't possible to get a female uniform in her size, so Yugi was concerned that anything they did that could be misconstrued as 'breaking school rules' would land them in a lot of trouble.

It was part of the reason why Yugi went back to her doodling of the Paper Mache pirate head rather than attract Chono-Sensei's attention by getting any of the answers wrong, but unfortunately it didn't seem to work as the teacher seemed to know that she wasn't really paying attention and swept up the aisle between desks, snatching the piece of paper off of Yugi's desk and holding it up.

"Mutou-Kun, this is the second time that I've caught you failing to pay attention in my class." Chono-Sensei gave Yugi a look that just spelt trouble.

"I…I'm sorry…" Yugi stammered, "It's for the festival…"

Chono-Sensei gave the piece of paper a brief glance, then snorted and crumpled it up into a ball before tossing it over her shoulder, "If I catch you distracted in my class again, Mutou-Kun, I'll have to take drastic measures."

Yugi swallowed nervously, something that appeared to please Chono-Sensei. The teacher returned to the front of the class, missing the fact that Honda swept the piece of paper Yugi had been drawing on off of the floor and into his backpack, earning himself a grateful look from Yugi.

Class dragged as Yugi tried to keep her attention on what was being said by the teacher while bored out of her mind. It wasn't that she didn't want to learn what was being taught, it was that she couldn't keep her mind on the subject matter, not when it was presented the way it was. She'd always found it easier to learn from her Grandfather, who made it a game or showed her something practical, than she had from teachers in school who had just spoken about it but never actually done anything interesting with it and unfortunately Chono-Sensei's classes were no different.

Still she managed to keep her mind on her lessons for the rest of the afternoon, though she wasn't sure how much of it she actually took in, and it was with a huge amount of relief that she escaped from the view of the Wicked Witch.

"I'm not sure that was the best idea you've ever come up with Yugi." Honda said as he passed her the piece of paper, "You know what Chono-Sensei's like."

"She was plastered in make up as usual." Jou snorted, having been in Chono-Sensei's bad books before and having only retained his place in the school because it would be bad for one of their 'work-placement students' to be kicked out of school when the student had to pay for the privilege of having a job. They didn't want to lose in income, even if it meant putting up with slackers like him. "I prefer my women more natural, you know?"

"Jonouchi!" Anzu snapped, having had quite enough of Jou's thoughts on women for the day, having not quite forgiven him for the 'Real High School Girl Cabaret' comment earlier. Especially considering that he'd wanted to dress up the girls in their class in different costumes for every guy's fetish and have them perform on stage.

Yugi just laughed, used to Jou's comments by now and relieved to be free from the classes of doom. "Do you need a hand getting some of the stuff up together?" She asked Anzu once she'd pulled on her trainers carefully, trying to hide a wince as she made the mistake of trying to put her backpack strap over the shoulder that had been bruised when Kokurano had dropped the bookcases on her and Jonouchi, and swiftly switching shoulders.

Anzu pursed her lips, not as oblivious to what Yugi was trying to pull as the girl would have liked, and shook her head. "Honda and a couple of the other guys have agreed to help. You head on home and start on that pirate head. It could take ages to dry."

It was logical reasoning, Yugi knew, but she couldn't help feeling a bit like she'd just been dismissed. However she didn't let those feelings show and instead headed home with Jonouchi in tow, well aware that she probably couldn't have helped much anyway considering that she still wasn't supposed be lifting anything particularly heavy.  
She was glad for the spare time later on when she started covering the huge balloon she'd blown up in the sticky mess that was newspaper and wallpaper paste as she successfully managed to coat the kitchen floor and the table in the mixture, highly amusing Jonouchi, who helped her clean up.

"I don't know, Yuge." Jou chuckled as he helped her peel newspaper off of the table, "You don't half know how to make a mess, don't you?"

Yugi spared her friend an amused look as she managed to get the last piece off of the table, well aware that Jou was prodding her, trying to get a rise. That much hadn't changed since they'd become friends, but it didn't bother her any more. Mostly because she had worked out that he did it to all of his friends.

"Did you actually think Anzu was going to go for the cabaret?" She couldn't help asking as she binned the rest of the mess and moved the balloon somewhere safe to dry.

"No." Jou admitted as he slouched on the sofa, "I just wanted to see how big the explosion was."

"Jou!" Yugi's frustrated laugh got waved off by her blonde friend, who just grinned back at her.

"I'm sorry, Yuge, but it is far too much fun to prod Anzu. I just have to watch out for her right hook." Jonouchi half apologised and half explained. Yugi just gave him a look that clearly stated that she thought he was nuts, and slumped into a chair. "Hey, on the plus side we can start building tomorrow, once Anzu draws our space in the lots."

Yugi smiled at that. She was looking forward to the carnival games, even if it mean that poor Jou was going to get soaked, considering that there were a considerable amount of people who were going to be more than willing to get their own back on the teen who had, until he'd made friends with her, been a bit of a thug. Of course she understood why he'd been like that now, but at the time he'd just come off as a jerk, even if he'd been claiming to be 'helping' her.

Of course she still wasn't certain that Jonouchi and Honda's friendships hadn't come her way because of the wish she'd made on the Millennium Puzzle, but she was trying not to think about that. They had been trying to help her before then after all, but they hadn't really been friends until the day after she'd solved the Puzzle and the problem of Ushio had gone away.

Of course it had only gone away because her Other Self had sent him insane, which was another thing she was trying not to think about. Especially since she couldn't, currently, talk to her Other Self to ask her to fix whatever it was she had done. Not that she wasn't grateful for the spirit's attempts to protect her but she didn't like the idea of people being sent crazy because of her.

"Hey Yuge?" Jou asked when Yugi went quiet.

"Huh?"

"Tomb Raider?"

Yugi nodded vigorously and turned on the PlayStation, more than willing to drown all the thoughts that were going around her head at high speed in a few hours of tomb raiding.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning it was with a huge grin that Anzu was able to report to her class that she'd managed to draw the best spot in the lottery for spaces, meaning that they'd have the spot right next to the school's entrance, where they would attract the most attention as opposed to being tucked away in the corner where no one would see them and they wouldn't get many customers. It also meant that they'd raise the most from their customers as they would have more money when they spotted them at the entrance then they would do if they were on their way out.

For once everything seemed to be going right.

They got going rather quickly, taking the supplies that they had bought the night before into their spot and starting to build and paint everything they could and within a couple of days they were well underway. They were over budget too, even with the barrel they'd gotten for nothing from a local brewer and the tall plastic tank provided by Miho when the paddling pool had turned out to have a hole in. None of that mattered since they had everything they needed, they just needed to put it all together.

Unfortunately, with just three days left to go, Inogashira Goro, the class representative from 11D stomped over, demanding to know what they were doing in 'their' spot.

"This is our spot." Anzu protested, backed up by Jonouchi and Honda and wondering why he hadn't come and protested about this earlier, "I drew it in the raffle."

"This is where WE make okonomiyaki every year!" He was practically bellowing, making Yugi, who was stood on the Dunk the Punk's seat helping make a final adjustment to the game before it could be tested nervous, "Get your stuff out of our way!"

"No." Anzu stood up to him, refusing to back down when she was clearly in the right. "This is our spot." She said firmly, trying to ignore the way that he loomed over her and Jou and Honda shifted into recognisably offensive postures, preparing to defend her, "If you don't like it, take it up with the teachers."

"You have till school kicks out." Inogashira growled, "If your stupid games aren't out of our space by then, we'll move them ourselves." He gestured to the group of seniors who were hovering outside, all of whom were bigger than Jou and Honda before picking up a stone near the entrance and lobbing it at the target on the Dunk a Punk.

Yugi had just enough time to let out a squeak before the platform collapsed beneath her and she dropped into the water filled tank with a splash.

"If you want it to keep working that well," Inogashira snorted in amusement, as Miho helped Yugi out of the tub, "I suggest you move it before school's out." With that he turned and left.

Jou turned to look at Yugi, who had gone bright red in embarrassment as she took off her jacket only to find that her drenched top was clinging to her, and whistled appreciatively, "No mistaking your gender now Yuge."

Anzu, quite appropriately, hit him around the back of the head for that comment, which had only caused Yugi to go even redder, to the point where she resembled a tomato.

"So what do we do?" One of their classmates asked Anzu who, as Class Rep was expected to settle interclass disputes. "Are we going to need to move?"

"No. I'll settle this with Inogashira and a teacher. You lot keep building." Anzu darted off, leaving her classmates to continue their work, which, unfortunately slowed down as the afternoon dragged on and Anzu still didn't return.

Just half an hour from school ending a rather dejected looking Anzu returned to their booth with bad news. It had taken her all afternoon to get any of the teachers to make a ruling on it, but the spot was theirs as per the rules. However, if Inogashira and Anzu could come to an arrangement between them then the spaces could be swapped. When Anzu had refused to do just that Inogashira had threatened to tear all of their work down unless it was moved and the teachers were refusing to do anything about it. There was outrage amongst some of the students, but most had expected this outcome and they swiftly worked to clear as much of their area as they could. However it wasn't quickly enough for the senior students, who arrived five minutes behind Anzu with a huge grill.

"I told you to beat it." Inogashira growled at Anzu, who looked a little helpless.

"You're the ones who're gunna beat it." Jou snarled at the huge thug as he came to Anzu's aid.

"And what's a punk like you going to do?" Inogashira asked, roughly shoving Jou aside. The blonde didn't take to that well, and launched an attack on the huge teenager, who swept Jonouchi aside just as easily as Ushio had done to Yugi a couple of months ago, sending him crashing into the wall.

Before Jou could get up, Inogashira's classmates attempted to break the booth down with their grill, refusing to listen to the protests of Yugi's classmates.

"Stop it!" Yugi darted between the booth and the grill, acting where her classmates wouldn't, only for the older students to slam their grill into her so hard that there was an audible, sickening crack and the tiny teen went flying, crashing through the buckled wall and landing, unconscious, on the other side.

"Yugi!" Anzu darted to her side as Honda snarled and attacked Inogashira, who hadn't expected an attack to come from any other angle than the furious blonde, who was picking himself up while giving Inogashira a hate filled look, and was knocked off of his feet by the assault.

It didn't make much difference. While Honda and Inogashira brawled, the other seniors had set their grill up in the middle of the booth, only just waiting long enough for someone to move their fallen classmate before dropping the grill on a pile of bricks, ready to light.

They didn't get a chance to wreck any of the games that hadn't been trashed by the fall of the booth's wall as people rushed over to find out what the noise was, the teachers arriving just behind them and dispersing the crowds and breaking up the brawl between Inogashira and Honda.

Instead the teachers informed Anzu that THEY would have to move their things by the end of tomorrow, not Inogashira's class and vanished without saying a word to the senior students about the damage caused or the injuries to the other students.

Honda was taken inside by the teachers to get chewed out, while Anzu had to start organising the relocation of their games to another place, leaving it to Jou, who was furious at their lack of action and the way he'd been so easily swept aside, to scoop up Yugi and carry her to the infirmary.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"They can't get away with this."

Yugi awoke to find herself in pain once again. It was something that was happening far too often recently and to start with she couldn't work out why it hurt to breathe too deeply, nor why Jou or Honda sounded so angry.

"But what can we do? They're seniors. And the teachers are on their side. Again."

"I don't care if I get expelled. We can't keep getting pushed around like this."

She took in a sharp gasp at Jou's words, only to follow it with a pained whimper that attracted the attention of her friends.

"Yugi?" Anzu asked, concerned as Yugi opened her eyes and carefully pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain from both her ribs and the remaining bruising from Kokurano's murder attempt, "I'm so glad you're awake."

"H…Hey." Yugi stumbled over her words, taking shallow breaths to avoid causing herself anymore discomfort, "Where…?"

"The school infirmary." Jonouchi answered for her, putting the Puzzle down on the cupboard at her side as he did so and watching, warily, as she put it on, half worried that Oneesan was going to go on a rampage, "You got knocked out by Inogashira and his thugs."

Considering how she felt, Yugi wasn't so certain that she'd just been knocked out, but she supposed that without a trip to hospital, which she really didn't want, there was no way to tell. "Are you alright?" She asked, far more concerned for Jonouchi's health than her own.

"Fine." Jou was shorter with her than he would be normally however, telling the girl volumes.

"That knucklehead is fine, don't worry about him." Honda snorted at her, "How're you feeling?"

"I'm ok." Yugi lied, earning herself a worried look from her friends, "What happened to the games?"

"We can try again next year." Anzu said, standing up and turning away from her, trying not to burst into tears at the sheer unfairness of it all.  
"But… that's our space!" Yugi protested, shaking her head.

"You're right. We should get it back." Anzu sounded sad, "But it…"

"Yuge!" Jonouchi yelped.

Anzu wheeled around to find Yugi was getting out of bed except… red eyes flashed angrily as she struggled to get to her feet.

"No, O…" Anzu trailed off when she realised Honda was in the room, "No Yugi. Don't. You're hurt and I don't want… don't get yourself injured anymore. It's not worth it."  
Oneesan hesitated. She wanted to go and teach Inogashira a lesson. Hell he'd already broken the rules multiple times, she was well within her rights to Penalty Game him on sight. However Anzu was right, she was in a lot of pain and she somehow doubted that Inogashira would play fair.

That didn't mean that she wasn't going to game him, it just meant that she had to think carefully about what game she was going to challenge him to. She somehow didn't think that Mind Crushing Inogashira like she had the thugs that she'd challenged on the warehouse roof would go down very well with her host's friends.

Jonouchi gently pushed her back towards the bed. To the others it looked like he was trying to get her to lie back down, however as he did so he muttered just loudly enough for Oneesan to hear. "Wait till they go home. If you can come up with a game that doesn't risk Yugi getting hurt any further and won't kill anyone, I'll help you out."

Oneesan's eyes caught Jou's for just a moment but it was enough for her to see just how sincere he was being. He was just as ticked off at the senior class as she was...

She nodded slightly and sat down again and listened to the conversation going on around her. Really, if she wasn't planning on gaming someone now, she should surrender control but Oneesan didn't want to. She didn't wake up very often and more often than not it was while her host was in danger.

It was nice to be able to just listen to the others talk, even if was just Jou and Honda discussing how they'd like to tear Inogashira limb from limb. However they weren't her friends, Oneesan wasn't sure they ever would be considering everything, and as such she was stealing time that rightfully belonged to her host.  
She could take control again when it was time for the game, but for now she, regretfully, slipped back into the corridors of her mind to mull the problem over, relinquishing control to Yugi, who subtly looked around, slightly concerned until she saw that all her friends were fine.

Once the school nurse had looked her over and announced her fit to go home, though how she could really say that without looking her over properly was beyond Yugi, the four of them headed towards the lockers.

"Hey Yuge." Jonouchi said casually, "I left my bag in the booth, come with me?"

"We'll meet you tomorrow." Honda told the pair when Yugi nodded, "You coming Anzu?"

Anzu frowned as she looked Yugi and Jonouchi. She didn't suspect Yugi of anything, but Jonouchi wasn't exactly the type to let something like today pass without retribution and the Puzzle spirit was a great fan of vengeance. She'd already proved that.

"We're not gunna start anything." Jonouchi gestured to himself and Yugi, waving off her concern, "Promise." Anzu gave him a sharp look, wondering if he thought she was completely oblivious.

"Just try not to pick any more fights, Jonouchi." Honda snorted at his friend, before ushering Anzu away. Once the pair of them were out of sight, Yugi and Jou headed towards the wrecked booth.

Of course Jonouchi had no idea of what Oneesan's plan was and the problem was it wasn't like he could ask Yugi because she'd have no idea what her Other Self was planning and probably didn't want to know so somehow he had to get Oneesan's attention. The problem was he quite liked living and every method he knew of of attracting the spirit's attention involved scaring his friend rotten, which would just end in a Shadow Game. He finally made up his mind on what he was going to do when they passed the Dunk the Punk, which had had to be emptied to be moved out of the booth. It wasn't the smartest plan he'd ever picked, but since Oneesan didn't generally come out when he made Yugi jump, this would probably work much better.

He picked up the bucket of water which had been left at the side of the huge tank and tipped its entire contents on Yugi's head and then ducked behind the tank before he could be seen.

"Show yourself, whoever that was!" Jou winced at Oneesan's furious tone and it was definitely the spirit who was talking, he recognised the voice, "Now!"

He had two choices. He could come out of hiding and admit to what he'd done and possibly get Shadow Gamed or he could stay hiding, wait till she found him and then go through a Shadow Game. Either way he was toast… Why had he thought this was a good idea again?

"Mutou-Chan," Jonouchi got lucky, the arrival of Inogashira allowing him to shoot out of hiding without Oneesan questioning him, especially when he backed her up, offering the muscle that even if she hadn't been injured she could never have provided by herself, "I'm surprised you're walking around."

"Here to trash the rest of our games, Inogashira?" Oneesan's eyes narrowed as she asked her question, controlling herself only because Jonouchi was around.

"You were told to move them." He shrugged without a care.

"This is our booth." Oneesan snorted, "We drew it in the lottery. Not that you care."

"Why should I? This had always been our class's stomping ground."

"I have an idea." Oneesan stated, shifting her body just slightly, taking advantage of the fact she was drenched to distract the other teenager, only to gain a slight smirk when she realised she was distracting Jou too, "How about you and I play a game?"

"A game Mutou-Chan?" Inogashira asked, still semi-distracted.

"Sure, a round of Dunk the Punk, but with a difference." Oneesan said, stepping onto the ladder that would take her up to the platform as a second setup appeared out of thin air, startling Jonouchi, "We'll both sit on one platform and we each get three tries to dunk the other. The first one to dunk their opponent wins the right to this booth, but be warned, this is a Shadow Game, if you cheat there will be… unforeseen… consequences."

"And why would I play a game with you Mutou-Chan, when the booth is already mine?"

"Because I know you, Inogashira, you don't back down from a challenge. Do you really want me going around school tomorrow telling everyone you backed down from a challenge from me? The cross dressing freak who no one wants on their team since she can't throw to save her life?"

Jou winced, having heard those insults thrown around at one point or another since he'd known Yugi and noting the slightly angry way Oneesan said it. The speakers were probably lucky that she hadn't been awake at the time, or they probably would have been challenged by now.

The senior snorted and stepped onto the ladder as Oneesan found herself grabbed by Jonouchi. The confused spirit looked at Jou who shook his head at her before looking at Inogashira. "Oi." The senior turned to look at him, "I'm playing in Yugi's place. Got it?"

"Heh. Sure. I'll take on any challengers." Inogashira snorted before continuing up his ladder.

"Jonouchi!" Oneesan protested.

"You're injured and I said I'd help." Jou snorted, "Don't you trust me?"

Oneesan considered him for a moment, then nodded, slowly. "Just promise me you won't cheat, okay?" She asked as she stepped down.

"Don't worry. I heard your warning." Jou waved it off, "I'll be fine."

"So all I have to do is dunk that idiot and I win and you'll stop whining about the booth?" Inogashira double checked as Jou sat on the platform on the real Dunk the Punk and looked down only to see what looked like water.

"Uh, Yuge?" Jou asked as she nodded at Inogashira.

"Yes, Jonouchi?"

"Where'd the water come from?"

"It's an illusion but don't worry, it'll feel real enough if you hit it." Oneesan replied with a chuckle as she handed him three beanbag balls.

"An illusion?" Jou yelped, but Oneesan's attention had turned to Inogashira, handing him his share of beanbag balls.

"Ready boys?" She asked, "You'll take it in turns. Inogashira first, then Jou, then you take it from the top. However you may not throw anything at anyone, only at the targets. Got it?"

Inogashira's answer was to throw one of the balls, missing the target on Jou's dunk tank by inches.

"Ha!" Jou crowed, "That's one life lost, Inogashira!" His own beanbag missed by quite a bit more, causing him to let out a irritated snort, "And that's what I get for not concentrating."

The senior's second ball missed by a much larger margin, causing the older teen to cuss, where as Jou's was much closer, missing by centimetres.

"I'm not gunna miss next time." Jou promised with a smirk.

Inogashira, however, was much less confident. There was something wrong with the balls he'd been given. They felt heavy in his hand and just holding them made him shake. Jonouchi wasn't having the same trouble, so Mutou had to have given him different balls to the ones she'd given her friend. So much for playing fair.

Not that it would matter, he'd picked up a rock when the pair of them had been having their lover's tiff which he'd throw next, rather than the last ball.

"Last go, Inogashira." Mutou reminded him with a smug look, confident in her friend's victory.

The look changed his mind for him. He threw the rock at her rather than at the target.

The rock hit Oneesan just above her left eyebrow, grazing the skin and drawing blood, causing her to let out a pained yelp.

"Yuge!"

"Stay there!" Oneesan snapped at Jonouchi, who had been about to get up as Inogashira's last beanbag missed the target completely; "The door to darkness has opened." Jonouchi watched, shocked as a glowing eye appeared on Oneesan's forehead and she gave the senior the dirtiest look he had ever seen her give anyone, "For your crimes against my friends, my classmates and myself, my judgement is this." She raised her hand, fingers splayed wide, and pointed it at Inogashira, "Penalty Game, Exigency."

Inogashira shuddered as the spell settled.

"Until you learn what it means to do things the right way and work hard on something, you'll have to help everyone that needs help, no matter how hard the task." She informed him, "And you can start by…"

She trailed off, blinking as something hit the target on Inogashira's Dunk the Punk and the senior dropped into the dunk tank with a splash.

"Sorry Oneesan, but I wanted my turn." Jou told her. Oneesan just stared at him, her train of thoughts completely derailed by Jou's unexpected actions as the second Dunk the Punk vanished, leaving Inogashira on the ground, looking stunned.

"Should we go home?" Jou asked, looking amused by Oneesan's reaction to him dunking Inogashira.

"In a minute." Oneesan said, pulling some paper out of her bag and scribbling a note that stated that this booth was the stomping ground of her class and made Inogashira sign it, warning him that he wouldn't be able to tell anyone about what had transpired there and if he tried something worse would befall him.

"What the hell was that about the 'door to darkness' having opened?" Jonouchi asked as they left school grounds and headed for the Game Shop. "And the hell are these 'Shadow Games' you've been playing anyway?"

"The Shadow Games are part of my magic." Oneesan told him, frowning slightly, wishing she'd watched what she'd said and wondering how to explain what little she knew in a way that wouldn't have Jonouchi demanding answers she couldn't give, "And they're actually surprisingly basic in nature. There are the players, the game itself and the victory and loss conditions." She ticked them off on her fingers, "Those are all defined by 'The Rules'."

Jou nodded his understanding, surprised and pleased that she would actually give him the information he wanted.

"The trouble comes when someone cheats or breaks those Rules." She continued, "That's when the Shadows themselves come into it."

"The Shadows?"

"Don't ask me to explain them. I probably knew once but..." Oneesan shrugged helplessly, "Anyway, when someone cheats there HAS to be a Penalty Game and the Shadows draw out a person's true nature. They can claim that they're not going to cheat as much as they like, but if it's in their nature, they'll cheat. Once that happens if the Game's creator doesn't define one, then the Shadows themselves will pick one"

"Which is why you were worried about me standing in for you." Jou realised. "Hey," He grinned, "This means I wouldn't cheat."

Oneesan nodded, feeling slightly relieved by that. "Anyway, there's another thing you have to know about the Shadow Games. They have to be fair. If you bias the game against a player, the Shadows will find a way to swing just as much in that player's favour, they just have to find the out clause. Sometimes it can seem like they're bending the Rules, but it's actually the Rules bending around them. It's probably why the Shadows let you stand in for me earlier. Inogashira was uninjured and he's good at throwing, as are you."  
"Whereas you're injured and, no offence to Yuge, but she throws like a girl."

"Uhh, Jonouchi?" Oneesan looked amused.

"I know. I know." Jou waved it off, "She is a girl." He gave Oneesan a curious look, "So what does this have to do with 'the door to darkness'?"

"The Shadows are sealed away and it can be difficult to utilise them sometimes. When someone cheats in a Shadow Game a door between this Realm and the Shadow one opens, just temporarily. It stays open long enough for the Penalty to be set and implemented, then it closes again." She tried not to shudder as she thought about the Shadow Realm, "When Inogashira threw that rock at me, it opened a door and well..." She looked at him, "You know the rest."

"And how long does a Penalty last?" Jou asked, warily, wondering why he wasn't as worried as he should have been.

"Don't know." Oneesan admitted, "It depends on how fast someone reforms from the ways that the Penalty Game was designed to stop. Could be anything from a few hours to never. It depends on the nature of the Penalty and how quickly someone can change."

"So basically until they learn their lesson." Jou nodded, thinking carefully.

"You're taking this rather well." Oneesan couldn't help commenting, with a small, amused smile.

"I figure if I've gone mad it's too interesting an illusion to give up. If I haven't then at least I know what I'm dealing with. I wouldn't want to break any of your 'Rules' by accident and get myself challenged."

"What? You mean like my rule on not tipping a bucket of water over my head?" Jonouchi froze at the look on Oneesan's face. "You thought I didn't know it was you." It was a statement rather than a question.

"I hoped." Jou said, backing up quickly as her Puzzle glowed, "Sorry. I won't do it again."

She considered him a few moments longer then smirked, her Puzzle's glow dying as she did so. She'd had no intention of challenging Jonouchi. Scaring him however was another matter.

"I suppose I can forgive you. This time." She told him, noting the way he relaxed slightly at her words, "But in the future if you need to get my attention, drenching Imotochan is not the way to..." She sneezed and yelped as the movement jolted her ribs.

"Shit, sorry Oneesan." Jou shrugged off his jacket and put it around her shoulders as he finally noticed her shivering, glad that they were only a couple of blocks from the shop.

"I don't think that Nurse knew what she was talking about." Oneesan complained, wincing as she took too deep a breath.

"Shame you don't have a spell that could just fix you right up." Jou commented, watching her with concern.

"If I knew it, I don't now. If I did I would have used it weeks ago." Oneesan sighed, her eyes lighting up in relief when the shop came into sight for just a moment, then…  
Yugi wavered on her feet as she was dropped back in control, feeling a little dizzy from the pain. Jonouchi, noticed the sudden switch and supported his friend, grinning at her when she gave him a grateful look.

"Jou?" She asked, shivering underneath the jacket, "Why am I drenched?"

"Uhhh…" Jou looked embarrassed as he held the back door open for her, "Sorry."

Yugi paused for a moment, considering asking what had happened while she'd been 'away from home', but since Jou didn't seem all that concerned, or if he was he was hiding it well, she had just one thing to ask, "Is the booth ours again now?" She asked before sneezing and squeaking.

"How did you…?" Jonouchi stared at her, confused as to where the question had come from.

"Oneesan took control. She doesn't do that for fun." Yugi gave him a look that clearly stated that she could work out what had happened. "Is anyone hurt?"

"No." Jou shook his head, "The booth's ours and Inogashira will have to be nice to people for a while, but no, no one's hurt." He paused for a moment before sniggering at her, "Except for a certain hard headed girl who thinks it's a good idea to put herself in harm's way."

"I…Uhhh…" Yugi gave him an embarrassed look and darted inside.

Jou just shook his head in semi amused concern, still amused at how much Yugi had changed over the last couple of months. Considering that he'd considered her a complete pushover not that long ago, it was really quite amazing to see how much she'd come out of her shell in the last ten weeks.

Perhaps she'd just needed some real friends, as opposed to some idiots pushing her around the entire time.

"Hey Jou!" Yugi called down the stairs, her tone wavering as she did so, "Grandpa's left us some food in the microwave!"

Jonouchi frowned momentarily as he slipped inside and took off his shoes, remembering that Sugoroku had gone out to meet with an old friend of his who was curator at the local museum, then headed upstairs.

The beauty of Sugoroku being out was that they wouldn't be badgered to go to bed. They could stay up as late as they liked, as long as they got up for school tomorrow.  
Jonouchi came upstairs just in time to hear Yugi sneeze and yelp, darting into the kitchen to find that she had been trying to reach into one of the upper cupboards when she'd sneezed, aggravating her ribs.

He quickly grabbed a glass of water and some painkillers out of the cupboard and passed them to her before kicking her out of the kitchen.

"Go sit." Jonouchi said as he shoved her out of the door, "I'll bring the food in once it's heated up."

"Thanks, Jou."

He heated up the food quickly and carried it through to the living room on trays only to find Yugi had already fallen asleep in a soggy lump on the sofa.

He put the trays down and quickly got a blanket out of the cupboard, not actually sure what to do.

Finally he made up his mind when he finished eating, only to find she was still shivering even under the blanket. He picked up the phone and called the one number he knew he could always get help for Yugi from.

"Hi, Anzu?" He asked, "Help."


	8. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

When Anzu had arrived at the Mutou residence the first thing she had done was sent Jonouchi into the kitchen to prepare a warm drink and ushered Yugi down the hall to have a hot shower. The second thing, after seeing the horrendous bruising that had come up where the metal grill had impacted with Yugi's chest and seeing how much pain her friend was in when she breathed, yet alone coughed or sneezed, was phone a taxi to take them both to the A&E.

Yugi had been seen within a few hours and sent home with some rather powerful painkillers which had dulled the pain completely but had caused her to be so drowsy that she had actually gone to bed in the wrong room and ended up sleeping in the bed that was swiftly becoming known as 'Jonouchi's' while he took up a position on the much less comfortable couch.

Sugoroku had kept Yugi home for the next couple of days, but on the morning of the school festival Yugi had managed to convince him to let her come in since it was only a half day and she was only going to be sat behind the booth's cash register anyway.

Or at least that had been the plan. Someone had been unhappy with the arrangements Oneesan and Inogashira had come to and decided to do some last minute 'renovation' to their class's work. Luckily for the class Jonouchi and Honda had been guarding the booth at the time, since the blonde had expected trouble after Inogashira's little 'change of heart' and had scared off the seniors before they could do more than damage the sign at the entrance, cut the strings on the balloons at the entrance and chuck paint on the shooting range.

This had, however, meant that anyone who had arrived early, as Yugi had, had been drawn into the attempt to rectify these issues before the festival started up properly.

"Be careful," Anzu worried at Yugi as the girl, who had taken some painkillers before she'd come in, helped with the balloons, "You're not supposed to be doing anything..."

"I'm fine." Yugi flashed a smile at her, being very careful not to stretch and aggravate the two ribs that she'd broken, "Besides, even if I wasn't I have to be seen to be doing something." Yugi glanced nervously out of the booth to where Chono-Sensei had passed by for the third time in just over thirty minutes, "This goes towards our grades and I swear Chono-Sensei is stalking our booth..."

"Ignore her Yuge." Jou recommended, having taken that approach to the teacher most of the morning as he prepared to spend the majority of the day having potshots taken at him, rather than at the target of the Dunk the Punk he was going to be spending the day on. "She's just trying to see how many students break the rules today."

"Bloody Witch Of Expel." Honda grouched under his breath as he took the last balloons from Yugi only to get distracted as Nosaka Miho, a friend of Anzu's and a classmates of theirs, wandered past.

"Honda!" Yugi complained as his grip on the balloons loosened and the wind caught them and pulled them away, "Anzu, can you...?" She didn't get a chance to finish as the school bell rang and they had to scramble into position as the festival kicked off.

Yugi didn't really get a chance to take a breather after that until long after her painkillers had worn off and though she tried not to complain, the moment Anzu heard her squeak when someone brushed past her she sent her off to get something to eat and take some more. Yugi left the booth more than willingly, though she was careful about how she made her way through the crowds that currently were flooding the school grounds, to find something to eat that wasn't the okonomiyaki that Inogashira's class were making.

Finally settling down somewhere quiet with a bowl of ramen and a drink, Yugi considered the painkillers in her hand carefully. Though she hated being drowsy a lot of the time, she needed the pain relief and she'd come to realise that they had another effect on her, one that was both worrying and amusing at the same time.

Oneesan had told Jou that she and Yugi couldn't be awake at the same time, but when the painkillers kicked in, it was like they both were. It was the only time that she could really tell that she shared her body with someone else, as the blackouts really didn't count since she wasn't aware in any way, shape or form during them. Though she and the spirit of the Puzzle couldn't talk to each other verbally, they had exchanged notes during one such period of drowsiness without Yugi having a blackout. The teenager was looking forward to another such conversation, even if it was a little convoluted since Oneesan's handwriting was her handwriting and it was, unfortunately, not brilliant.

Yugi ate as quickly as she dared considering it was rather painful to move and was about to take her pain meds when the wrist of the hand holding the drugs was seized tightly by a manicured hand and pulled away from her mouth. Yugi let out a pained squeak as the grip aggravated her wrist, which had yet to fully recover from the kidnapping and dropped the painkillers into a second hand that appeared out of nowhere.

"Doing drugs on school grounds, Mutou-Kun?" Yugi cringed for a whole different reason as she realised who was speaking, turning to look at Chono-Sensei as the teacher continued, "You'll be expelled for this."

"They're painkillers, Chono-Sensei." Yugi spoke quickly, "The hospital prescribed them to me. I have the box in my bag, I can show you..."

"Empty your bag then." Chono-Sensei looked horrendously smug, as if she didn't believe what Yugi was telling her.

Yugi privately wondered if the teacher thought she had a drug store in her backpack or something but kept her thoughts to herself as she emptied the contents of her backpack onto the grass.

The teacher seemed surprised as she shifted through the surprisingly small amount of things that had come out of the backpack, nudging Yugi's purse, deck box, rubix cube, pens and notebook before picking up the box of painkillers and examining it carefully. From the look she was giving it, Yugi wasn't sure whether Chono-Sensei was checking it for flaws or willing it to set on fire, but when she was handed the box back a few seconds later and the painkillers she'd been about to take moments after that she let out a sigh of relief.

"You should be more careful about where you take your painkillers, Mutou-Kun." Chono-Sensei informed the girl, who was just glad that she'd thought to bring the box rather than just the correct amount of pills she was supposed to take during the course of the day and that Oneesan hadn't woken up to protect her when Chono-Sensei had first grabbed her. She didn't fancy trying to explain why the woman, who was lusted after by most of the male staff members, had suddenly gone insane. "I won't be the only one who makes that mistake."

"I'll be careful from now on." Yugi nodded her understanding and making a mental note to avoid taking them where she could be spotted by the harshest of the teachers.

"Be sure you are." Chono-Sensei snorted at her and stalked off, looking slightly put out.

Yugi let out a soft, relieved sigh and took her painkillers before slowly drinking her beverage and opening her notebook to a fresh page. If anything, she supposed, she should have been glad that the Wicked Witch of Expel hadn't gone through the spiral bound pages, or she'd probably have tried to get her expelled for being schizophrenic or having multiple personality disorder.

She scribbled down a quick hello while she waited for the drowsiness to kick in and listened to the sounds of the festival. It sounded like everyone was having fun. She was just glad to get away for a little while. She could handle customers. She'd worked in the shop after all, but she kept getting knocked about and in her current condition that wasn't a good idea.

Still the carnival games were a hit, Jou had only been hit by a couple of beanbags and he'd only been dunked twice, once by Honda, and they were swiftly running out of prizes for the shooting gallery. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd take the prize for earning the most money. So all in all it was going well. She was just in a lot more pain than she'd thought she would be and that was sucking some of the enjoyment out of it.

As the painkillers kicked in, she slowly unwound, breathing easier as it hurt less to move and mentally jumped as she realised that while she was still able to see and hear her surroundings, it wasn't actually her in control of her body.

And then it was. She mentally shook herself, still unable to get used to the sensation of being a passenger in her own body and then glanced at the page, wondering what Oneesan had written.

_'Hi. Having fun?'_

Yugi smiled at that. She'd explained to Oneesan about the festival last night before she'd taken the Puzzle off in order to go to bed. The Ancient Egyptian spirit had appeared interested, or at least Yugi had thought she was interested from the phrases she had used and Yugi was horribly tempted to let Oneesan take control for a little bit and let her enjoy herself without having to Shadow Game someone for a change.

"Yes." Yugi wrote back, "The carnival games are a huge hit and the festival is great fun. There's so much food to try and so many games to play. It's your turn now though."

There was no reply for a minute and Yugi wondered if she'd managed to confuse Oneesan. After all she'd never offered control away for longer than it took to write a message before. She could understand if the spirit was wondering what had brought this on considering that she'd never been in control for any length of time unless she'd been punishing someone who had harmed Yugi or her friends.

_'What do you mean?'_

Yugi laughed briefly before wincing, her amusement only growing when she slipped out of control halfway through the wince and her body turned to look around before settling down again. As she was pushed back into control she reached for the pen again only to have to slam the book shut when she realised she wasn't the only one around.

"Mutou-Kun?" One of the girls asked, "Can I ask you something?"

Yugi tried to hide the irritation at being interrupted mid conversation and nodded, moving the notebook as the girl sat next to her as her friend hovered.

"You're friends with Honda-Kun, right?" Yugi nodded at the question, confused as to what that had to do with anything, "I uhh..."

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked, worried.

"N...Nothing. Maybe this is a bad idea." The girl looked nervous as she went to stand up only for her friend to put her hand on her shoulder.

"Mutou-Kun's got a boyfriend." Her friend pointed out, confusing Yugi, "And she's friends with Honda-Kun, she knows this stuff."

"But I don't have a..."

"Mutou-Kun," The girl who was sat next to her cut her off as Yugi tried to protest the existence of a boyfriend, "Is Honda-Kun single?"

"Yes..." Yugi nodded, still confused.

"Oh good!" The girl looked relieved, "I was worried he was with Mazaki-Kun."

"Honda and Anzu?" Yugi asked, trying very hard not to laugh, "You thought they were..."

The other girl swatted at her, having noticed her amusement, "You're not helping."

"Sorry, sorry." Yugi apologised, "What was it you wanted?"

"I'minterestedinHonda." The girl spoke at around three times the speed of a normal person.

Yugi blinked for a moment, in which time she slowed down the speech and forced it to make sense in her head. When she had she wondered how on Earth they had decided that she was the best person to go to about this. "Have you tried talking to him?"

The two girls looked horrified. "But what if he says no?"

"You can't know until you try." Yugi pointed out, trying to think. "I mean if you really need something else, my Grandpa's shop might have something but..."

"How did you get Jonouchi-Kun?"

"How did I what?" Yugi yelped before feeling herself shift out of control and mentally froze, worried what Oneesan was going to do.

"Hook Jonouchi-Kun?"

"I have done nothing of the sort." Oneesan growled, "There is nothing between me and Jou. Now if you don't mind I have to get back to my booth."

The two girls left after making a note of where the Game Shop was and Oneesan slipped out of control, allowing Yugi to explain to the spirit of the Puzzle that she was letting her take control so she could enjoy herself for a change.

A few seconds later an amused, yet slightly confused Oneesan slipped back into control and Yugi was left in the backseat as Oneesan packed up Yugi's things and finished the drink before slipping into the crowds that were milling around. Not quite sure what her other self had had in mind when she'd stepped aside, Oneesan took her time heading back to the carnival game booth, taking the opportunity to taste several of the treats on offer and examine the various things on sale on each of the stalls before heading back.

"Oh good, we were about to..." Anzu trailed off when Oneesan passed her some yen and picked up some beanbags. "Y...Yugi?"

"Ha." Jou grinned, "Bring it on then, Yu..." He trailed off, his grin fading and his face paling as he realised who was actually in control.

Oneesan tossed one of the beanbags up in the air and smirked at him. "Sure, Jou..." She tossed the first one and Jou let out a short laugh that turned sharply into a yelp as the second beanbag hit its target and he dropped into the dunk tank and got soaked for the third time that day. He spluttered as he surfaced, coughing up the water he'd swallowed.

"Now," She said as she passed Jou a towel, "We're even."

"Sure but..." He glanced around and pulled Oneesan away from the crowds. Luckily it wasn't hard. As Oneesan had milled around the crowds had thinned out as all but the last stragglers left and all Jou had to do was drag her behind the booth. "Okay. Where's the body?"

Oneesan just sniggered and waved his concern off, "Don't worry. I didn't Challenge anyone. Imoto-Chan had a shock and I thought I'd bring her back here safely so she didn't have to risk traversing the crowds.

Jou gave her a slightly disbelieving look for a moment then paused, "Imoto-Chan?" He asked with an amused look.

"I'm not the only one who needed a nickname." Oneesan chuckled, "I know Her name's Yugi, but considering that she's offered me the use of her name, it felt weird using it to refer to Her. Besides, If I'm the big sister, that makes her my little sister."

Jou blinked at her, confused. "You've spoken to Yuge?"

"Technically not."

"Huh? Explain."

Oneesan explained as best as she could, but she could feel the drowsy stage wearing off and though she was reluctant to return to sleep she knew that it wasn't fair to steal her host's life especially considering that Imoto-Chan was willing to share it.

"Excuse me." Oneesan held up her hand, forestalling any further questions as she felt Imoto-Chan's mind slip into sleep, pushing the girl into control and retreating into the Puzzle.

"You okay, Yuge?" Jou worried at his friend, who blinked at him for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts before nodding.

"I'm..." Yugi trailed off when she saw Chono-Sensei turn the corner. Wondering if the woman had a homing beacon on her or something, she tugged on her friend's jacket sleeve and pulled him towards the front of the booth where their classmates were starting to take down the signs.

In a classic example of the fact that it always takes longer to create than destroy, the booth was completely demolished within a couple of hours and the gang was on its way home long before Yugi's second batch of tablets wore off. Halfway home the group split up, Anzu heading for her dance lesson, Honda going to babysit his cousin and Jou heading to his own job, leaving Yugi to walk home alone for the first time in months. She didn't get very far, before she'd gone around one more corner on her route the girls from earlier had caught up to her.

"Mutou-Chan!" One of them, the one who wasn't crushing on Honda, grinned at her, "I'm glad we caught you."

"We forgot where your Grandpa's shop is." The other explained a lot less enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry." Yugi apologised, looking sheepish, "But I don't know your names..."

"Oh. Of course, sorry Mutou-Chan, everyone knows you but you're so oblivious that..." The excitable girl trailed off, looking embarrassed, "I'm Hinata Chiyo and this is my friend, Takasu Hamako."

"It's nice to meet you, Hinata-San, Takasu-San." Yugi bowed to both, trying to ignore the comment about being oblivious to her classmates. It wasn't like she could deny it. "I'm on my way home, so if you want to follow me..."

"That was the plan." Hinata grinned at her, "Lead the way, Mutou-Chan."

Yugi led the two girls back to the Game Shop where her grandfather was more than willing to embarrass Yugi with stories of how he'd used a blank jigsaw puzzle like the one he sold to the girl who had a crush on Honda. He also hinted about what to write and draw on the puzzle.

Takasu did try and get Yugi to write on the Puzzle for her, but between Yugi's lack of anything resembling a relationship and the fact that Hinata had backed Yugi up when she'd finally realised that Jonouchi really wasn't Yugi's boyfriend in insisting that the words really had to come from Takasu if she wanted this to work.

The two girls darted out the door and off home to get started while Yugi helped her grandfather in the shop, planning to mention the girls to Jou. After all he would have a better idea of what Honda liked and if he, as she was worried about, had a crush on Anzu's friend Miho.

The whole situation vanished from her mind though when Jou returned, rather late and with a spectacular black eye. He wouldn't tell her where it came from and when Oneesan, who had been awake because of the painkillers Yugi had taken in preparation of going to bed, had informed him that she was more than happy to Challenge his assailant if he hadn't dealt with it, he'd told her it was a family thing and to drop it and leave it alone.

Though Yugi couldn't really sense anything from the spirit while Oneesan was in control, she could tell that the Ancient Egyptian ghost wasn't best pleased with that idea by the fact she retook control of her body to lingering feelings of frustration and concern. She tried to placate the spirit when they exchanged a few words before Yugi took the Puzzle off for the night, but from the tone of her words, Oneesan was still a little cross when Yugi finally gave up and went to sleep.

By Monday the combination of the busy Sunday shift, the concern for her friend and the fact she was running so late that she had to down her painkillers on the bus on the way to school, had driven the jigsaw so far out of her mind that she was just as confused as Honda when she followed the brunette into class and he pulled a present out of his desk. She started drifting off the moment she sat down, not a good start to the day, but Oneesan saved her by taking over and starting to unpack her school stuff as Chono-Sensei entered the room for the first class of the day.

Oneesan watched the teacher as moved across the room, a sly smile on her face, as Honda scrambled to put the present in his bag before the teacher saw. He was too slow. Chono-Sensei's eyes latched onto the present and, in the sweetest tone she could possibly manage, she uttered the dreaded words, "Surprise Inspection."

Everyone emptied their desks and bags onto the table, Oneesan included, wondering if she should switch with Imoto-Chan, as the teacher examined each and every desk.

"I've heard rumour that someone in this class has been taking drugs." Chono-Sensei said as she examined one pile of junk very carefully, considering the sweets on Miho's table carefully before moving on to Yugi's desk. Oneesan dropped the illusion that the Puzzle cast on Yugi in order to make her look taller and make her eyes red whenever Oneesan was in control, before catching the teacher's eyes.

Chono-Sensei looked amused at her defiance as the examined the pill box again, but Oneesan could see the way Jonouchi tensed up, having seen the illusion go up in the first place and worried that she might Challenge the teacher. She wasn't foolish though. She knew how much Yugi needed her schooling and how much her Grandfather valued Yugi's continued intellectual growth. As such she was leaving Chono-Sensei alone, even though she would have been justified in taking the woman to task for the pain she had caused Imoto-Chan.

The teacher didn't say a word to her, not this time, just let out a soft, disappointed sigh and moved on to the desk behind Yugi's, picking up the present that Honda had been left. "What's this?" Chono-Sensei asked, her tone sickly sweet.

"I don't know." Honda answered truthfully, "It was here when I got here."

True or not it was the wrong answer as Chono-Sensei started heading towards the front of the class discarding shredded wrapping paper as she did so. Oneesan glowered after her, but held back at a subtle shake of the head from Jou, who knew her too well.

"Not yet." The teen mouthed at her, still trying to work out why it was Oneesan in control, how Oneesan was almost pulling off the Yugi act and how he knew instinctively what she wanted to do.

"Oh how cute." Chono-Sensei held the puzzle pieces and the blank base up for all to see, horrendously embarrassing the two girls who had come to the shop, "Of course games are banned in school. Aren't they Mutou-Chan?"

Oneesan didn't respond. She didn't feel like being goaded into an argument when she had too many witnesses to really get into a decent 'discussion with the woman' and Jou's disapproval didn't help matters.

"Oh," The woman continued as she examined a piece carefully, "It has writing on. I wonder what the message could say..." The two girls who had come to the shop had gone pale now as Chono-Sensei started assembling the gift.

"Now?" Oneesan's look demanded of Jou as the woman practically cackled.

"Oh, why it's a love letter, Honda-Kun." Chono-Sensei informed the boy with a wicked smile, not failing to miss the glance that the boy spared in the direction of Nosaka Miho, "Of course I'm afraid your secret admirer is going to have to be suspended and her parents told. After all you're all much too young to be engaging in relationships."

Oneesan tried to ignore the looks she got from more than just Chono-Sensei. Shockingly it appeared that even the most sensible members of the class had been taken in by the rumours that Yugi and Jou were dating, leaving the spirit of the Puzzle wondering if it was possible for a girl to be close friends with a guy without someone thinking that they were dating at best and sleeping together at worst.

Jou hesitated, wondering what Oneesan had planned and if she planned on launching her Shadow Game here and now.

"This poetry is awful." Chono-Sensei chuckled, "Hair like chocolate? It's so cliché..."

The girl who had written it looked like she was going to sink into the ground.

"I wrote it." Hinata spoke up, protecting her friend from further embarrassment, "I wrote everything on that puzzle."

"No," Takasu wasn't having any of it, not wanting her friend to get into trouble on her account, "I gave Honda the puzzle. It's my gift."

"One of you has to be lying." Chono-Sensei pointed out, "You can't both have given Honda-Kun the gift."

"Neither of us are lying." Hinata informed the teacher.

Honda looked shocked by this, as neither girl had registered on his radar until this moment, focused as he was on Miho, but Jou nodded as Chono-Sensei grew enraged by the denials of the pair of girls. Certain that one of them was lying, she mentally made the decision that in the lack of evidence to expel the slacker, Jonouchi, and his little bint, the cross dresser who had made her look so foolish a few months back, she was going to get one of the girls expelled for lying to a teacher. Hell if she twisted it right, she could probably take Honda down with them too.

"Finally." Oneesan murmured, setting the spell up, using the jigsaw as the catalyst. Should she complete it she would trigger the Penalty. "I give you this one chance," She recited in her head, having no faith in Chono-Sensei stopping without completing the puzzle and embarrassing the trio involved or worse and not wanting to land Yugi in trouble, "Continue your path and face a Penalty."

The teacher continued her taunts as she slipped all bar the last piece into place, taking great delight in drawing out the agony.

"I have it." Chono-Sensei said with a smirk,as she clicked the piece into place, "The name of the one being suspended is..."

"Penalty Game," Oneesan responded before the teacher could reveal the name, her voice carrying just enough for Jou and Honda to hear her, but not enough for the teacher to catch her words. "Fragmentation."

To Jou and Honda's shock the mask of makeup on Chono-Sensei's face started cracking, pieces of it falling away. The teacher's face turned panicked and her hands rose to her face as Oneesan continued.

"You cannot hide your true nature. No matter how much makeup you pile on, all will see the truth. No longer will you be able to hide behind an illusion of beauty. Every mask you apply will shatter and, until you learn to treat others with the same respect you require yourself, every man will see you exactly for who you are the moment they meet you."

Without her makeup, Chono-Sensei looked like a harpy. A shrewd, cruel looking harpy who couldn't understand what was happening to her.

"You all saw nothing. Class dismissed!" Chono-Sensei dashed out the room, her makeup still crumbling away, heading for the bathroom to fix herself up.

Takasu darted up to the front and grabbed the jigsaw before glancing at Honda and darting out of the room, the class exploding in noise as she left.

Honda took the opportunity to reach over, grab Oneesan's shoulder and wheel her around to face him, only to find himself face to face with a tired looking Yugi. "The hell was that?" He demanded, confused and using the noise of the class to cover his words.

"We'll tell you later." Jonouchi promised, "Go chase your girlfriend."

"She's not my..." Honda hesitated.

"She wants to be." Oneesan pointed out. Honda glowered at the spirit of the Puzzle momentarily, then darted out the door after Takasu.

"Ooooh, you're in trouble." Jou grinned at her as Oneesan retook Yugi's seat and started putting things away.

"Jou?" She asked calmly.

"Yeah, Yuge?" He asked, still grinning.

"Please be silent." Oneesan sighed, concerned she had given herself away from the odd looks she and Jou were getting, only for Jou to chuckle at her.

"I believe the phrase you want is 'shut up'."


	9. Enter the Dragon

 

"So Yugi's possessed?" Honda asked.

"Yeah..." Jou responded as he leant against the wall next to the school gates, waiting for the other two and trying to fill Honda in on recent events.

"By a ghost from Egypt?"

"Yeah."

"Who can and will kill people to protect Yugi?"

"I'm not gunna let it go that far again."

Honda paused and stared at Jonouchi, "Are you insane?"

"Maybe." Jonouchi grinned slightly.

Honda just stared at him a little longer before shaking his head, "You don't seriously expect me to believe this nonsense?"

"You'd rather believe that Yugi, the Great Pacifist, is some kind of witch who punishes anyone that crosses her?" Jonouchi asked.

"I'd rather believe that today was some kind of weird dream and get back to reality."

"Even though you got a date out of it?"

Honda paused and smiled slightly at the thought of the upcoming date, "Okay, other than the date part. Magic isn't real. Remember Kokurano?"

"Just cause he was a fraud, doesn't mean magic isn't real mate." Jonouchi told Honda, "I've seen Oneesan's powers in action, I can tell you. They're real."

Honda glowered at Jonouchi for his easy acceptance of the weirdness that appeared to be following Yugi around, "How do I know that wasn't just a concussion playing up or something? I'd suggest you were drunk but..."

"I don't drink, Honda." Jonouchi glowered at him, "You know that. Don't do drugs either."

"I know, I know." Honda waved it off. "That's why I wouldn't suggest it." Jonouchi just continued to glare, "You're serious about this aren't you? You really believe Yugi's possessed and the spirit lives in the Millennium Puzzle when she's not defending her host."

"Dude, I _know_ Yugi's possessed and Oneesan has told me herself that she sleeps in the Millennium Puzzle while Yugi's out and about. Well unless Yuge's on painkillers and then they're both awake at the same time and... I'm not helping am I?" Jonouchi sighed when Honda shook his head, "Look Honda, you don't have to believe me, but you know what you saw and that's not even the limits of the crap Oneesan can pull. Remember the criminal who set himself on fire in Burger World?"

"Key words, set himself on fire."

"Oneesan set him up. She Challenged him and set him up so when he moved he caught fire. He never stood a chance. And she did that _without_ magic. Think what she could do if she really got pissed off. I still don't know what she did to those thu..."

"Look." Honda held up a hand, interrupting Jonouchi before he could continue, "I don't know how much of this is truth and how much of it is you getting beat round the head one too many times and I don't want to know. I'm more than happy not paying attention to Yugi's weirdness and if you were smart, you'd ignore it too."

"But..." Jonouchi stopped at the look he was getting from his friend. "Fine. Fine. Shutting up."

Honda let out a soft sigh as Jonouchi kept to his word, going silent. Well, that was partly true. Mostly though it meant that instead of talking nineteen to the dozen, Jou started tapping his foot impatiently as they waited for the girls to join them at the school gates.

Honda lasted all of thirty seconds before turning and glowering at his friend. "Jonouchi, I swear if you don't stop that I'm going to..."

"Hi." Anzu interrupted. Honda turned to look in the direction her voice had come from, only to discover that Yugi was hovering behind her, looking nervously between Jonouchi and Honda. Honda just nodded to Yugi, who nodded back but, thankfully didn't try to defend herself or the supposed spirit of the Puzzle.

"Hey." Jonouchi grinned at the pair, well aware of the awkwardness of the situation and trying to get the group talking, "So what was it you wanted to show us Yuge?"

"Well you know I've been teaching you guys how to play Monsters and Wizards?" Yugi asked, launching quite happily into gaming mode and earning Jonouchi a relieved smile from Anzu who had had to deal with Yugi's nervous pacing as she worried about what Honda was going to do or say.

"Yeah." Jou nodded, thinking about the multiple times he'd been trounced that lunch time by Yugi and her deck. If it had been anyone else he would have gotten frustrated but he was beginning to get used to the fact that Yugi never lost at any game she played.

"Well I'm hoping I can talk Grandpa into showing off his really rare card." Yugi grinned, "It's really powerful. He got it as a gift from a good friend of his."

"So trading for it is out of the question?" Jou earned himself a clip around the head from Honda for the question, which, of course, started an argument between the pair that only ended when they reached the shop.

"Why do we put up with them again?" Anzu asked Yugi as the two girls preceded the boys into the shop.

"Hey! I heard that." Jou protested as he followed them in, piping down when he realised that there were still customers in the store and that they were giving him an odd look.

Without a second thought Yugi slipped into 'saleswoman' mode, helping her Grandfather work through the customers and giving hints and tips on games to people who asked for them. With her help the last of the stragglers were gone in just under ten minutes, leaving Yugi free to ask her Grandpa about the really, really rare card he had.

"Ah, you've got your friends playing too?" Sugoroku looked amused, "I did wonder who the starter decks you bought out of your pocket money went to." He wandered out into the store room while Yugi watched the shop, coming back with a box that was slightly bigger than a trading card. "Now this, this is my most prized possession, just like Yugi's Puzzle is hers..."

With that he opened the box. Inside it was a single Magic and Wizards card which rested on a soft velvet background.

"Doesn't look all that special to me." Jou commented, earning himself another clip around the head, prompting Anzu to make a comment about giving the blonde brain damage, but Yugi wasn't paying attention. This was mostly because she thought she'd felt something that wasn't hers to feel, but she wasn't certain.

"There were only ever four of this card printed." Sugoroku explained, "And a good friend of mine gave me this card when we got trapped in a tomb during one of our expeditions together. I helped him out and in exchange he gave me this card as a symbol of our friendship."

"Wow." Jou said, taking a closer look at the card, "No wonder you..."

The door opened and a boy in a smart white suit entered the shop, striding towards the counter before dropping his briefcase on the counter, "That's it! That's the card I've been looking for!"

"Isn't that Kaiba Seto?" Honda whispered to Anzu who nodded.

"He's top of our class." She informed him, "I didn't realise he liked games too."

Before Kaiba could say another word Sugoroku had put the card away. "Can I help you?" The elderly man asked, holding the box close to his chest.

"That card! I must have it!" Kaiba stated, his eyes fixed on the box Sugoroku held tightly.

"I'm sorry, everything else here is for sale. This card however, was given to me by a friend and I won't give it up for anything."

"What if I offer all of these?" Kaiba asked, opening the briefcase. Yugi's eyes went impossibly wide as she took in the sight of hundreds and hundreds of Magic and Wizards cards.

"Not even then. It's not for sale and I won't trade it away either. You've had your answer." Sugoroku didn't like the boy, there was something about him he didn't trust, "Now I suggest that either you buy something or you leave. I'm about to close up for the night."

Kaiba glowered at the shopkeeper but closed his briefcase and stalked out of the shop, the door slamming behind him.

"You know," Sugoroku commented as the four teens stared after their classmate, "That's quite impressive considering the door isn't supposed to be able to slam like that."

Yugi shook herself out of her shock first and started helping her Grandfather close up the shop. It wasn't long before she was ushered upstairs with her friends though. Yugi's friends settled in the living room while the games addict prepared drinks for everyone. By the time she was done making the tea her Grandfather had finished downstairs and had come up to the flat with a box of spares, the volume of which was rather impressive. Almost as much so as the amount in the briefcase.

"What're these for?" Jou asked, halfway through pulling his small collection of cards out of a pocket of his backpack.

"These are my spares." Sugoroku explained, "But I thought I might let you lot go through them."

"Really?" Jou asked, surprised considering how much the boosters went for in store.

"Yugi needs someone who can challenge her, besides me." Sugoroku informed him, "And these will never sell. You're more than welcome to go through this box and take what you need. I let Yugi do it months ago."

"Thank you." Anzu smiled at the elderly gamer as Jou and Honda nodded their thanks and dug in, looking through the cards carefully.

They spent the night learning new tricks and modifying their decks, only splitting up when Anzu's parents rang to find out if their daughter was still there and they realised it was getting on for ten o'clock at night.

The following morning Yugi was running late and only just slipped in behind her teacher. Luckily Chono-Sensei had phoned in sick and the teacher that was standing in for her didn't say a word, mostly because they didn't know Yugi's name. This suited the girl rather well considering that it meant that she didn't get into trouble.

By lunch the substitute teacher had fled from the insanity that was Yugi's classmates and Yugi's group of friends was able to settle into a corner of the classroom and enjoy a nice quiet meal for a change, the gossip having finally shifted off of Yugi and onto the topic of what had happened to Chono-Sensei.

"Why were you so late?" Jou prodded as Yugi pulled out her bento and her deck box out of her bag.

Yugi looked sheepish. "I kind of asked Grandpa a favour." She admitted, opening her deck box and showing her friends the card she'd borrowed from the man in question.

"How'd you manage to get him to give you that?" Jou asked, surprised considering that Sugoroku had been rather against letting it leave his clutches last night.

"I had to promise to look after it and not let it out of my sight." Yugi replied as her friends examined the Blue Eyes White Dragon in her hand, "Trust me, there's all sorts of impending doom promised if I lose it."

Before Jou could ask the surprisingly sensible question about the sensibility of bringing such a rare card, which was probably worth a lot of money to collectors, into school, Kaiba had shoved past him.

"Kaiba-Kun?" Yugi asked, only slightly surprised by his actions considering how much he seemed to want a Blue Eyes White Dragon card, she pulled back when he reached for the card. She'd pleaded with her Grandfather, hoping that she was wrong about Kaiba but now something was telling her not to trust him, the same thing that had told her to trust Jou and Honda...

"Please Yugi, please. Just let me have one more look. I need to see that card." Kaiba pleaded.

She warily held it out for him to see and let out a startled yelp as he snatched it from her, only to be forced to hand it back a moment later by an angrily growling Jou and a glaring Honda.

"You are very lucky to have that card, Yugi-Chan." Kaiba informed her solemnly, "Take care of it." With that he returned to his seat.

Yugi frowned as the others turned back to their lunches and the games in progress as she looked at the card he'd put back in her hand. It felt wrong, inert, where before it had felt like the morning sun and radiated the same feeling as she got when her grandfather was playing at being a mother hen. Not that she'd ever explain the feelings to her friends.

She examined the card carefully, her eyes widening as she noted a couple of small differences that just confirmed what her heart already knew. The card in her hand was a fake. A very convincing fake, but a fake none the less.

She frowned slightly but didn't say anything, not wanting to get her friends into trouble if they started anything. Instead she retook her seat and watched Kaiba out the corner of her eye as she tried to teach her friends the game she loved. She did, however, mention Kaiba's actions in a written message to Oneesan, who wanted to challenge him immediately.

By the time class had started again, Yugi had managed to get her to agree to wait and let Yugi try first, but Oneesan had warned that she wouldn't tolerate anything less than the return of the card, and if he harmed Yugi at all, she wouldn't go easy on him.

Yugi had been worried about confronting him after that, she didn't want him hurt because of her but Kaiba had stolen from her and worse, tried to replace it with a rather convincing fake.

Managing to lose her friends in the post-school rush, she managed to corner Kaiba in a quiet area by the school football pitch as he headed for the car park.

"Kaiba-Kun, we need to talk. You took my grandpa's card." She tried putting some of the confidence that Oneesan supposedly had into her pose and tone, only for Kaiba to chuckle as he turned to look at her.

"Yugi-chan, I don't know what you're talking about." Kaiba commented, sounding confused.

"Please Kaiba-Kun, I'm not stupid." Yugi shook her head as she spoke, "I know the card you gave me back is a fake. Please give me back the real one."

Suddenly the nice guy act was dropped and the glare she was on the receiving end of made her freeze on the spot, "You're accusing me of being a thief?"

"Kaiba-Kun please." Yugi tried again, "I just want that card back. I know you want it badly, that's obvious from the fact you went so far as to make a copy of it, but it's not youeep!" Yugi let out a startled squeak as someone grabbed her shoulder.

"He bothering you, Mr. Kaiba?"

Yugi glanced over her shoulder to find two men in dark suits and sunglasses had appeared behind her, one of whom had grabbed her shoulder.

"No. She's not. Now, Yugi-Chan." Yugi looked back at Kaiba, worried by his voice, which was full of malice and amusement, "You need to know something."

"O...Oh?" Yugi asked, her voice stumbling where it hadn't before.

"The strong take what they want from the weak, I wanted your Grandfathers Blue Eyes White Dragon, and I took it, simple as that." He turned to go.

"Kaiba-Kun!" Yugi shook herself free of the hand and grabbed Kaiba's school jacket, "Please..."

That was as far as she got, Kaiba wheeled around and smacked her hard enough to send her reeling. Yugi staggered back into one of the suited men, who seized her left shoulder with one hand and her right wrist with the other and twisted the appendage up her back. Oneesan, who had been woken by Yugi's pain and shock, took control and tried to break free but the man's answer was to twist the arm further and tighten his grip, causing her to emit a pained yelp.

"Don't," Oneesan glared at Kaiba as he spoke, biting back a growl and a wince as her right shoulder and wrist complained loudly. "Ever touch me again."

"I Challenge you." Oneesan responded in much the same tone, "To a game of Magic and Wizards."

"You?" Kaiba laughed, having seen Yugi's deck and the way the girl played, "Challenge me?"

"Yes. You win, you can keep the Blue Eyes. You lose I'll inform everyone that you're a liar and a thief and take Grandpa's Blue Eyes White Dragon back. I looked you up last night," Or rather Yugi had but he didn't need to know that, "I don't think it would do your reputation any good to have that going around. Not considering you're supposed to be the World Champion at the game."

"I don't run from any challenge, Yugi." Kaiba scowled, somehow sensing that this Yugi wasn't the same girl he'd hit just moments ago and that he should be taking her seriously. "We can duel this way."

He led the two goons, the taller of which had yet to release Oneesan, into the car park and into a storage room where the old desks were kept. There the goon let go of Oneesan, shoving her forward a couple of steps as he did so, as the other thug set up a pair of chairs with a table between them.

"Out." Kaiba ordered his thugs, who exited the room without a second thought. "Don't try anything stupid. They're only outside the door."

The only difference that made to Oneesan's plans was the Penalty she was going to inflict when she defeated the brat in front of her. She didn't doubt that he was good, but he had already proved that he was a liar and a thief, she didn't doubt that cheat would be added to that list and if he cheated in a Shadow Game well...

"This duel will be slightly different, by the way." She informed him with a smirk on her face as they settled down to play, cutting and shuffling each other's decks. He stood no chance. When she handled Yugi's cards there was nothing but trust and indignant rage on behalf of their holder, well that and a little wariness since they didn't know her yet.

Kaiba's cards on the other hand hated him, she could tell from the moment she laid her hands on the deck. They wouldn't aid him in this battle, while Yugi's allies would. She shuffled them quickly, feeling the power shifting in the deck and making a note of the fact she didn't sense Sugoroku's Blue Eyes in the deck. Either he was going to put it in later, or he wasn't planning on using it at all.

She started weaving the magic, setting up the game she wanted the moment she handed the deck back, taking her time putting Yugi's deck down. She'd never played the game herself, but Yugi had. Hopefully between the fact the cards had their effects written on them, the cards themselves seemed to want to back her up and she had Yugi's experience to draw from it would be enough to secure victory.

"We'll both start with 2000 life points, if you hit zero, you lose." Oneesan continued, "Game Start."

"Well then," Kaiba didn't give her more than a heartbeat to say anything else, "I'll go first." He drew and smirked, "Ah ha! Five stars! The Ryu-Kishin Gargoyle!" He played it, practically throwing the card on the table.

The Gargoyle appeared in a whirl of mist. The red demon bellowed, its wings extending as it glowered at Oneesan.

"It came to life?" Kaiba didn't sound as shocked as Oneesan would have liked as he beheld the five inch tall monster currently stood on the table. In fact he looked pleased, almost delighted.

"I told you this wasn't an ordinary game." Oneesan pointed out as she drew a card, smirking slightly when she saw what she'd drawn, "To stand against your Gargoyle, I summon the Blackland Fire Dragon."

The dragon appeared, flapping its huge wings and letting out a roar that caused the Gargoyle to take a step back. It turned to run, but the dragon was faster, unleashing a torrent of flames from its mouth that engulfed the creature who vanished into ashy grey smoke.

"Damn it, I lost that round." Kaiba grouched as he watched the smoke fade away, "My Gargoyle is disappearing."

"The monsters from the cards become real and the loser faces a Penalty," Oneesan stated, amused by her first turn win, "Those are the rules in the Shadow Game version of Magic and Wizards!" Kaiba just watched her. Oneesan almost paused, surprised to find that she couldn't read his features but she continued her explanation. "After that exchange, your life points drop from 2000 to 1500. The first to run out of life points loses and will know _Death_ in a Penalty Game.

There was nothing from Kaiba for a moment then to Oneesan's shock he started laughing semi-manically, "Heh ha ha ha this is good! I'm glad I took your challenge! This is the extreme game I've been looking for!"

This wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting and Oneesan hid her confusion well. Instead of showing her true feelings she just gave him a smug smile and quite calmly stated, "And now it's your turn to draw a card."

"Okay!" Kaiba practically sounded like he was bouncing for the split second before he drew, then it was back down to business as he beheld the card he'd drawn. "Alright! I drew Battle Ox! One of the strongest of the Beast Warriors!" He practically threw the card on the table and almost immediately smoke rose from it. "It's taking form!" The joy on his face was marred by the slightly psychotic gleam in his eyes as the Battle Ox took shape and launched itself forwards, axe raised.

"It beats your dragon in both attack and defence! You can't beat it!" Kaiba continued, not letting Oneesan get a word in edgeways, not that she had anything that could prevent what was coming. "Go Battle Ox! Slice the Fire Dragon to ribbons!"

The dragon tried to defend itself with its flame breath but the minotaur like monster just shrugged it off before dicing the dragon into tiny pieces which swiftly turned into smoke and faded away. Oneesan was just glad that Imoto-chan wasn't awake to see it happen. Kaiba's monster was almost as vindictive as his Duellist.

"My minotaur beat your dragon by 200 points." Kaiba gloated.

"I'm aware of that, thank you." Oneesan deadpanned, "However I'm still ahead with 1800 life points."

"Not for long, Yugi-chan." Kaiba chuckled viciously, "It won't be easy to draw something stronger than by Ox."

Oneesan was aware of that too. She just had to trust that her Other Self's deck would help her. Drawing the next card, she mentally sighed in relief. "My next card is the Mystical Elf." Oneesan called as she placed it on the table carefully, not wanting to damage Imoto-chan's possessions and allies, "In defence."

"Smart." Kaiba allowed as the Mystical Elf appeared, sat kneeling as if in prayer on the field, "Your elf doesn't stand a chance in a head on battle, but her defence beats my attack by a safe margin. If I attack I'll just hurt myself, so I'll go into defence too." He turned the card on its side and the Battle Ox crouched down, hunkering behind its ridiculous Axe Sword. Adding to Oneesan's worries, Kaiba played something face down behind the Ox before passing the turn over to her.

Oneesan drew as Kaiba gloated about the pair of them being in a stalemate and having to waste turns building up their hands. Though she was taking her knowledge of the game from Imoto-chan's memories, her little sister was knowledgeable enough in the game that Kaiba's insistence on explaining everything felt insulting.

Frustratingly she didn't draw anything useful, just a Skull Servant that was good for forcing the opponent to waste an attack, but not much use for anything else.

Before she could officially end her turn, Kaiba was making his move, activating his face down magic card, Giant's Might.

Oneesan had to repress the urge to use several colourful words Jou had taught her as the Ox gained enough attack points to annihilate her Elf.

"My ox is stronger than your stupid Elf!" Kaiba crowed, "Off with her head!"

The Battle Ox took Mystical Elf's head off with one swing. Oneesan's hand went to her neck as she winced. These were her little sister's allies after all and they had been made real for this game. Though she hadn't thought of it when she'd set up the game she could imagine that dying wasn't exactly pleasant. She couldn't say for certain since she couldn't remember her own death, but it was a pretty easy guess to make.

Skull Servant went down next followed by a Mushroom Man and another three cards in quick succession before Oneesan drew a card that could change the state of play.

"The strongest card in my deck!" Oneesan didn't mean to let the relief slip into her tone but it was there all the same as she summoned her creature, "The Summoned Skull!"

"Summoned Skull!" Kaiba looked stunned as he beheld the creature, "How do you have such a rare card?"

Oneesan didn't answer, she just smirked, "Say goodbye to your Battle Ox! Demon Lightening!"

The Battle Ox was cooked to a crisp by the lightning that rushed from the demon's hands and coursed though the minotaur.

"Your move, Kaiba."

Kaiba glared as he considered his deck properly. Yugi had him on the ropes now and she was aware of it. He had things that could beat the Summoned Skull but there was very little chance of him drawing what he needed in time to prevent his defeat. He had underestimated and it had cost him dearly.

Still defeat wasn't an option and he leant back, deciding to take a course of action he didn't have to resort to very often. He had a card in his possession that he could summon right now, if he could make it look like he'd drawn it from the deck rather than his pocket, that would defeat the demon and end the game.

"You know Yugi-chan, you should come to tournaments." He commented as he supposedly stretched, giving himself time to palm the card in question, "I didn't think it was going to come this close. It's been a long time since I had a decent challenge. However," He reached for the deck, "It's over. I've got a special card I've been saving for this eventuality. This!"

Oneesan glared at him as he so say drew the Blue Eyes White Dragon. She knew full damn well that card hadn't been in Kaiba's deck at the start of this duel and for this blatant display of cheating and for having the nerve to play the stolen card against her she would have his guts for garters.

The Dragon appeared on the field and Kaiba's whole attitude changed into one of insane glee. "It's here!"

"That's my Grandfather's card!" Oneesan snarled, pissed beyond measure and already weaving the magic in the direction she wanted it to take when Kaiba's move backfired on him.

"Your Grandfather's card?" Kaiba laughed, psychosis firmly set in, "You're wrong, wrong! This is my very own card! I just happened to get it from someone! And when it attacks you'll be the one to experience Death!"

Oneesan nearly snapped back at the teen, then she realised something. The Blue Eyes was as pissed off as she was. If Kaiba gave the wrong order, it was quite possible that she wouldn't have to do anything about the dragon. After all the cheating had occurred, the game was over. The monsters were free to act as they wished.

"Go Blue Eyes White Dragon! Kill! Destroy!"

Those were the wrong words and the 7 inch tall Dragon didn't need a second order. It flew up and then circled around Oneesan for a moment. The ancient spirit of the Puzzle felt the dragon's rage and light brush against her for a moment, causing her own words to Jou about those of light being incredibly powerful made more sense to her as she felt the dragon building up for its attack. A feminine concern for the younger of the pair inhabiting the body brushed against Oneesan's mind for a moment, then the Blue Eyes was purely focused on destroying its target.

"Wait! You're supposed to destroy Yugi! Not me!" Kaiba yelped as the dragon unleashed a beam of bright white light and electricity which struck Kaiba in the chest, knocking the Duellist backwards off of his chair.

"You cheated Kaiba." Oneesan stated as she got to her feet, checking that the dragon, who had managed to latch itself onto the spirit's shoulder, hadn't killed the boy. She didn't fancy dealing with the guards outside the door if it had. Luckily, or unluckily as the case may be, Kaiba was sitting up, watching her like she moved towards him and looking like he was unable to comprehend why the dragon had turned on him like that. "And the Penalty will stand, Illusion of Death."

A Magic and Wizards card appeared in Oneesan's hand with Kaiba's image on and the rich brat's mind shrieked as he was sucked into the Graveyard with his monsters, who pounced on him the moment that he appeared, tearing the boy limb from limb.

"You'll probably experience death in that world." Oneesan stated as she collected the Blue Eyes from the table and put it and Imoto-chan's deck away, "But my wish is that by becoming a card, at least temporarily, you will understand their heart and become a true game master like my Grandfather. As for the dragon," She turned her head to look at the Blue Eyes on her shoulder, who was taking its time in fading away as the rest of the game had, "I assume you want to be returned to your proper owner."

The Dragon nodded and then disappeared from the real world.

Oneesan shot Kaiba, who was curled up on the floor, unmoving bar the panicked breath of one in great pain, one last glare and then opened the one window available and slipped out of it, leaving the teen trapped in her illusion. His guards would find him sooner or later and she needed to catch up with Yugi's friends.

 


	10. The Man in White

"That green haired prick!" Jou cussed, shaking in barely suppressed rage, "I can't believe he tried to steal Yuge's Blue Eyes card! I knew there was something wrong with him, I mean look at the hair! No-one has hair that weird!"

"Jonouchi?" Anzu asked, pointing at Oneesan behind her back as Honda tried to ignore the weird conversation. The spirit of the Puzzle, who had managed to catch up to the others at the shoe lockers as they'd hung around to wait for Yugi, was glowering at Jou, who backed off a little. Though he was beginning to get used to her, he was fully aware anything that could be misconstrued as an insult to her 'Imoto-chan' was grounds for a Shadow Game in her mind. The comment about weird hair certainly fit that mould.

"At least hair comes in red, black and blonde," Jou tried to retract his statement hurriedly, "Admittedly not all at the same time but..."

Apparently those were either the right words or Oneesan decided to let it slide for now as Yugi blinked at him innocently, looking a little confused. "Jou?"

"Doesn't matter." He responded, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to clean Kaiba's clocks."

"I'm not sure you'll be able to." Yugi looked a little worried as she glanced back in the direction Oneesan had come from, "I think Oneesan Challenged him."

"You think?" Jou asked, trying to ignore the way Anzu tensed up and Honda scowled slightly. If Kaiba had been being an ass, he deserved whatever he had gotten.

"Well he slapped me and now I'm here, so yes, I think Oneesan Challenged him." Yugi sighed. "And before you ask, I was asleep through the whole thing, so I have no clue what she did. You'll have to ask her the next time someone decides it's a good idea to set her off."

Anzu pursed her lips at the sad note to Yugi's voice and wondered what Oneesan's Challenges were doing to her friend. She knew Yugi rather well and was fully aware that her friend didn't like the thought of people getting hurt because of her. That Oneesan was defending Yugi was both good for the teenager and bad. The spirit's actions were hurting Yugi as much as helping.

"So, where's this place we're supposed to be going?" She wasn't the only one who noted Yugi's mood. Honda abruptly changed the subject, wondering if Yugi was as freaked out by the mess she was in as he was.

"The Junky Scorpion." Jou answered as they started plodding down the road, "It's a shoe shop."

"Wait," Honda grimaced, "We're heading halfway across town for a pair of shoes?"

"Not just any pair of shoes." Jou scolded Honda, "I'm getting a pair of Air Muscles. They're like, the best trainers ever."

"Jonouchi, I'd expect something like this from Anzu or Yugi." Honda tutted, trying to ignore the outraged glare that Anzu shot his way, "Not you. Besides I thought you were trying to be careful with your wages."

"Yeah, for this!" Jou crowed, "I've been after a new set of trainers for weeks. These," He pointed to the ones on his feet, "Have holes in the size of China. If I'm gunna get a new set, I at least want a good pair."

"As much as I'd love to stick around and find out just how much money you're going to waste on a pair of shoes that are going to fall apart within a month," Anzu sighed, well aware that it was generally the rule that the more money you spent on a pair of shoes the faster they gave up the ghost, "I have dance practice. See you all tomorrow."

With that Anzu darted off the direction of the studio. Yugi watched her go unable to help but feel guilty, wondering if part of the reason she'd been fired from Burger World had been because of Oneesan's actions. The official excuse had been because she didn't have a work permit but it wasn't unusual for companies to hire students without them. Most liked doing it because it meant that they could pay them less money than other workers.

She'd tried offering Anzu some money towards the lessons but Anzu had been unwilling to take it. Apparently her parents had been furious when they'd found out why she'd been working in Burger World during the incident, but they'd come to an agreement. She kept her grades up and they agreed to fund her dance classes until she managed to find another job. They weren't happy about it, but they had eventually come up with the plan after speaking with Anzu's friends.

Apparently someone had told her parents that Anzu had not only been managing to do well in her dance classes and keep up with her school work, but push up the grade average of her friends too and provided evidence.

Jonouchi had looked rather smug when Anzu, who had been a little shell-shocked at the time, had informed them of that little fact leading Yugi to believe that it was Jou who had done so, even though the two of them got on like cats and dogs.

"At least tell me it's not that much further." Honda grimaced.

"Twenty minutes, tops." Jou promised, leading them down an alleyway, "All the fans of this sort of thing use this place." Honda just rolled his eyes at his friend and followed, keeping an eye out. He wasn't sure of the territory around here and with their track record he wouldn't have been surprised if they were jumped on their way to store.

Surprisingly they managed to get to the Junky Scorpion without anything going wrong. The moment they stepped through the door Jou honed in on the trainers in question gushing over them as if they were rare jewels, rather than a pair of trainers. At least until the shop owner snatched them away.

"These aren't for sale." The man snorted, "They're rare and probably well out of your price range."

"Come on, you _have_ to sell them to me." Jou was practically salivating over the pair, "I came a long way to find this shop."

"There're more people who want these than stars in the sky." The shop owner snorted, "People'll pay anything to get what they want." Yugi was reminded of Kaiba at that and she couldn't help but wonder if he was okay. Her mind snapped back to the conversation at hand, just in time to hear the Shop Keeper challenge Jou to a 'game.'

"I've put a scorpion in these trainers." The man was saying, "If you're brave enough to put them on, I'll sell them to you."

"Jou..." Yugi murmured, worried, as Jou accepted, seizing the trainers from the man and slamming them onto his feet.

"Ha! A brave one." The shop keeper smirked, "I didn't really put a scorpion in there, I wouldn't risk damaging the Air Muscle's like that. After all there's only a limited number of these out there."

"Then ring them up," Jou crowed, "Cause they're mine."

They cost Jou just over half of a month's wages but the moment they'd been paid for on they went. Jou proceeded to spend five minutes staring at them happily then skipped along the road home, pleased as punch.

Honda refused to walk with him and Yugi couldn't keep up, so the two of them hung back. Not that the pair knew what to say to each other. Honda still didn't want to believe the whole 'Yugi's possessed by a ghost' thing and Yugi didn't want to run the risk of pushing him away.

Then some guys leapt out of the nearest alleyway, she was pushed into a wall by Honda as he tried to protect her and the next thing she knew, Jou was hurriedly escorting her away from the Junky Scorpion muttering something about finding a way to enter the Puzzle and slapping Oneesan upside the head for being reckless.

"Jou?" Yugi asked, worried by her friend's ranting.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Jou looked furious however, telling her that he was lying. "I just need to have words with Oneesan when she wakes up next."

Yugi's mind went 'eep' at that and the girl swiftly decided that she didn't want to know. Shielding her Puzzle from Jou the rest of the way home, just in case he decided he wanted to smash it for whatever Oneesan had done, she did note that Jou's trainers had a hole in.

Was that why he was so ticked at her Other Self? Had her game damaged his ridiculously expensive trainers?

Then she remembered she didn't want to know what Oneesan got up to when she was in control of their body and tried to focus on something else.

She was quite happily distracted by making a game of watching the cars go past and guessing what colours would go past next, something that she was surprisingly good at, when an ambulance swept past, sirens blazing. Jou let out a relieved sigh as it turned the corner towards the Junky Scorpion, seriously concerning Yugi, and all other thoughts fled from her mind as she realised she _needed_ to speak to Oneesan as soon as possible.

As much as she didn't want to know what her Other Self got up to, she couldn't let the spirit of the Puzzle continue to hurt people. It wasn't right.

Her mood didn't improve when she got home. They were late enough back as it was and when her Grandpa had seen the bruise that had come up on her cheek from the fight she didn't remember, he'd grounded her effective immediately and sent her to her room while he had words with Jonouchi.

While Sugoroku informed Jou in no uncertain terms that he was not to drag Yugi into his brawls again, Yugi tried everything she could think of to wake Oneesan up, only to get no reply even after she'd downed her pain meds and attempted to poke her via written messages.

Finally giving up when the drowsy stage wore off, Yugi picked up her digital pet and let out a soft sigh when she realised that putting it into sleep mode hadn't prevented the inevitable flow of time from claiming the digital creature's life when its twenty one days was over. She loved looking after the pets and it was always a wrench when she had to reset the thing and start again.

Poking the reset button with a pen she had lying on her desk she carefully entered the pet's new name into the system and answered a few questions. She hadn't had the same questions twice yet and yet every time she'd restarted the game she'd had a very similar monster. She guessed it was to do with how she raised it and how often she played with it, but she couldn't help but be amused by the fact the last monster she'd raised had looked a lot like her.

Slumping back onto her bed as the egg on screen wobbled for a couple of seconds before depositing a tiny black blob on screen that immediately demanded food and water. Letting out an amused sigh as she swiftly flicked through the menus and did as the pet demanded, wondering if she'd forever be at the creature's beck and call and if her Grandpa would let her get a real pet one day.

A knock at the door interrupted her third round of the guessing game with her little blob of a pet and wincing in advance of what was certain to be an impressive lecture, she set the creature into sleep mode and opened her door.

"Yugi, we need to talk." Sugoroku informed her as she stepped aside to allow him access.

"Ojiisan..." Yugi trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to say and frightened that he would want her to stay away from her friends.

"Jonouchi told me what happened." Yugi tried not to look too worried about that as Sugoroku sat on her bed and gestured for her to join him. She joined him, hoping he wouldn't ask for her side of the story since didn't know what had happened herself, just that whatever Oneesan had done had ticked Jonouchi off rather badly. "It was really brave of you to stand up for your friends but..."

"Ojiisan?" Yugi asked, her voice soft.

Her grandpa let out a heavy sigh, "I'm not going to ask you to stay away from your friends, Yugi, that wouldn't be fair. I am going to ask, however, that you be a bit more careful in the future. They're not always going to be there to look out for you and..." Sugoroku's eyes flickered to Yugi's Puzzle and her hand instinctively moved to cover it, not that she was aware she was doing it until he caught her hand. "You'd tell me if something happened, wouldn't you?" The elderly gamer asked, his concern for his Granddaughter obvious.

"Of course." Yugi nodded instantly before guilt coursed through her about the fact she was hiding Oneesan from him. She just didn't know how he'd react to the fact his granddaughter regularly got possessed by a spirit who lived in the ancient artefact he'd given her.

The games master gave her a sharp look, knowing that she was lying about something, but not sure what. "Yugi..."

"I... Ojiisan..." Yugi trailed off. She didn't know how to tell him but at the same time she knew that she'd have to do so eventually.

"When you're ready, Yugi." Sugoroku patted her on the head, got up slowly, creaking slightly as he did so, then paused and looked at her again, "If you're going to grow your hair out, you might want to get a hair band because well..." He chuckled slightly, "You should look in the mirror."

With that he exited the room. Confused, Yugi checked her bedroom mirror only to grimace as she realised what he was talking about. With her hair growing out she looked an awful lot like she had a multicoloured starfish attached to her head. Normally she'd have had it cut by now, but with everything that had been going on, she'd forgotten.

She probably should get it cut again but she wasn't sure it was a good idea. If her hair had been longer, she might not have been mistaken for a boy for as long as she had and Anzu had always said that she'd look better with longer hair. Perhaps, now she wasn't hiding anymore, she should finally take her up on that advice, even if that meant having to put up with having a starfish for a hairdo until her hair was long enough that the weight made it fall out of that shape.

Until then... She hunted through the pot next to her mirror, hoping to find an elastic hair band only to find that she had a grand total of one scrunchie that was rather old and didn't stretch very well any more.

"Anzu's going to drag me shopping." Yugi groaned as she returned to her bed and her pet only to jump a mile when Sugoroku re-entered the room rather suddenly.

"Oh Yugi, I almost forgot." Her grandpa sounded almost excited. "You don't have anything planned for tomorrow afternoon do you?"

Yugi shook her head. Saturday afternoon was one of the busy times for the shop, so her only plan had been to help in the shop. Obviously that was about to change.

"Good. I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of mine, a Professor Yoshimori, he's an Egyptologist. He's the one who dug up the exhibit that's opening up tomorrow at the Domino Museum and I promised we'd go along."

"Egyptologist?" Yugi asked, curiosity peaked. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd seen her go through the Egyptology textbooks and old journals that he'd kept from his digs, looking for something that could help Oneesan.

Sugoroku nodded, "We'll meet here, tomorrow at two and walk over together. Feel free to bring your friends."

"I thought I was grounded?" Yugi asked, confused.

"Not for this. This is educational, not games." Sugoroku tutted at her, amused. "I'll leave you to get on with your homework." He gestured to her desk, where her bag laid open with her school books spilling out.

"Ojiisan..." Yugi groaned as her Grandpa closed the door behind him, half jokingly sulking. Moving over and settling properly, dropping the pet on the wooden surface as she did so, she sighed as she pulled out the essay she was supposed be working on. It wasn't going to be easy, she'd been putting it off for a couple of days for the simple reason that the assignment had been set the morning Oneesan had sat through class for her so she had absolutely no clue what the teacher had gone on about during that lesson.

Still she had to at least try.

* * *

The following morning she woke up in bed. Considering that she was pretty certain that she'd fallen asleep at her desk while trying to do her homework it took her a moment to realise that someone had moved her from the desk chair to the bed.

Trying not to think about the fact that she'd fallen asleep after writing a grand total of one sentence, she yawned, stretched and got up, moving over to the desk to hurriedly scrawl something she could hand in, only to find that there was an essay there ready and waiting for her.

She stared at it in complete sleepy confusion, trying to work out if she'd written a lot more than she'd realised or if, in fact, she'd written it in her sleep. It had to be her handiwork, it was her handwriting. Unless... No it was silly. Why would an Ancient Egyptian spirit do her homework for her?

Oneesan was probably the one who had settled her body in bed once she'd finished too, a fact that relieved and embarrassed Yugi slightly. She didn't want Oneesan to think she couldn't look after them both and falling asleep at her desk wasn't a good thing.

Yawning again, tired and wanting nothing more than to curl back up in bed and sleep for a week, she collected everything she'd need for class, including the essay that had been assigned the same morning that Oneesan had Challenged Chono-Sensei, before getting changed or at least trying to.

She froze up as she took in a piece of clothing she hadn't owned before. A leather vest like top that looked like it was as much about protecting her torso as it was about showing off her assets.

"Where?" She murmured, checking the tag on it and freezing in horror as she realised that it had come from the costume shop four blocks over, the expensive one that specialised in LARP armour and cosplay. There was no way she'd have been able to afford something like this without saving up for at least a couple of months, maybe more. Had Oneesan stolen it for her?

Checking the bag it was contained in further, she found a receipt, telling her no, Oneesan hadn't stolen it from the shop, she had in fact purchased it last night at such a time that she had to have just managed to catch the store owner before they'd shut up for the night. Yugi quickly checked her purse, wondering if somehow she'd magically spawned money in it overnight, only to find that none of her cash was missing.

Confusion really set in after that little revelation. How had Oneesan afforded the top?

Swiftly working out that she could hide the top under her school shirt she put it on, knowing somehow that Oneesan had bought it as a present for her, just glad that it wasn't a PE day. Her face went bright red with embarrassment as she imagined the reactions of her other classmates if they caught her wearing leather.

Switching her virtual pet to silent and slipping it into her trouser pocket, she headed into the kitchen in time to see Jou getting lambasted by Sugoroku for hovering around the toaster while it was still cooking.

"The toast will pop when the toast pops. Now stop hovering and get some plates out." Her grandpa grouched at the teen who grinned at him, highly amused, before following orders.

"Morning." Yugi nodded to both of them, noting that the piggy bank that had been on the shelf yesterday was now on the kitchen side with the rubber stopper removed. Her grandpa had been putting money in it once a week for the last couple of month, ever since just after she'd completed the Puzzle in fact and she had no idea what he was saving for but suddenly she understood where the money for her top had come from. "Uhhh, Ojiisan?" She asked, pointing at it.

"Oh don't worry about it." Sugoroku waved it off, "It's gone where it's supposed to."

Jou looked curious at the confusion on Yugi's face but he didn't get a chance to ask about it before the toast popped and a plate of food was shoved under his nose and by the time they'd finished eating it was time for them to run to school.

Other than handing in Oneesan's essay and trying not to feel like she was committing some horrendous act of plagiarism, and feeding and playing with her pet (in silent mode) under the table out of sight of the teachers, the day passed quietly though Oneesan still hadn't responded to any of Yugi's written messages causing the teenager concern.

Had something happened to the spirit during her last Challenge? Or was she just hiding from Jou?

That concern for her other self didn't really disappear, though the exhibit certainly pushed it to one side. She couldn't help but be drawn into the show, enjoying getting to see the first reveal of a dig whose artefacts had never been on display before. Yugi was a little uncomfortable about the whole thing though. The moment she'd been introduced to her Grandpa's friend he'd asked her a huge favour.

That favour had been to allow him to put the Puzzle on display until closing.

Yugi had felt awkward handing it over but everyone had encouraged it, stating that it would be awesome to see the Millennium Item on display, so she had done so but kept an eye on the golden artefact the entire time.

Midway through the afternoon Yugi paused in front of the glass cabinet containing the sarcophagus and mummy of the Pharaoh that had been excavated during the dig. Part of her was excited to see it. Another part of her, however, remembered everything she'd read about regarding the Egyptian afterlife and disliked the fact that the Pharaoh before her had been ripped out of his tomb and brought across the world to be shown off like a prize horse was displayed at the market.

Pausing to consider the vehemence of her feelings she realised that she wasn't the only one affected by the King's plight. A man, Egyptian by the looks of him was in tears as he beheld the Pharaoh.

"Are you alright?" She asked gently.

The man turned to look at her allowing the teen to look at him properly. He was in a white robe, had a turban wrapped around his head, a giant golden key hanging from a rope around his neck and a golden set of scales in hand.

"These are not my tears." The man said by way of explanation as he looked her over, something crossing his features as he considered her carefully, "This man, his body has become a doll of dust but but he is still the Eternal Pharaoh, his soul lives on with his name but even the Eternal Sleep is denied him. The cry of his soul becomes the tears that run down my cheeks."

Yugi wished she had the Puzzle with her as her hand instinctively moved to it for comfort only for her to remember that she'd put it on display like her Grandpa's friend had asked her to. Then she realised something, the golden scales the man was carrying had the same eye symbol on it as her Millennium Puzzle.

She paused momentarily then opened her mouth to ask the myriad of questions that were running through her head, only for the man to ruffle her hair.

"Heh." The man said, smiling slightly, "You're a nice little boy."

'Nice little boy?' She was in _**high school!**_ For some odd reason it really ticked her off that he'd called her that and though she hadn't fought with her classmates over it, it seemed really important for her to correct him. However she didn't get a chance as her friends called her over.

"Hey Yuge! They've got your Puzzle on display." Jou's voice caught her attention and by the time it had snapped back to the man he had disappeared.

Looking around, trying to spot the man, she made her way over to the case where her Puzzle hung by its rope from a hook in the top of the glass box. They took a group photo then Yugi was practically dragged to the museum's cafe in order to grab a bite to eat while they waited for the museum to close.

When the museum finally started to close down, Yugi darted down to the Egyptian display to collect her Puzzle only to find that it was missing from the display case. That was fine, she rationalised, they had obviously already taken it out in preparation to return to her. She'd just have to find the Professor and then she could have it back.

It wasn't the Professor she ran into first though, it was the Egyptian.

"Excuse me sir, have you seen a brown haired man, so tall," She gestured, "Japanese, was probably carrying my Puzzle, he promised to give it back. It's shaped like this?" She made the shape with her hands only to back up slightly as the man approached her, holding the golden key in one hand and pointing it at her head.

Before she could bolt, he'd tapped it to her forehead and the world had spun out from underneath her.

* * *

Shadi had come to the Domino Museum in Japan for one reason and one reason only, to punish the men who had trespassed on the tomb of a Pharaoh and pulled one of the Eternal Pharaohs from their well deserved rest, so to find the Millennium Puzzle on display in its completed form was shocking to say the least. It hadn't been completed in thousands of years. Had someone from the local area completed it and handed it into the museum? Or had they stolen it like they had stolen everything from the Pharaoh's tomb, including his vessel?

When it had been removed from the display case, he had followed the man who had taken it, knowing just from just the way the man was moving, furtive and secretive, as if he didn't want to be caught, that he wasn't the one who had completed the Ancient task of rebuilding the shattered Pendant.

He had punished the man who had sought to sell the most important treasure out of everything he had in his Ra accursed display, never knowing that it and its holder were what would make the difference between the end of the world and the continued existence of the human race. Now, as he made his way out of the museum he wondered if he should search the local area and see if the one who had completed the Puzzle was in fact a local. He hoped so, it would be easier than hunting the entire world in order to return the Puzzle to its rightful holder.

He hadn't thought about it for a moment when he'd spotted the child from earlier heading in his direction, not until he had stopped him to ask a question and Shadi had, quite embarrassingly, realised that he'd been speaking to a girl, not a boy. That wasn't what had thrown him though. Her question as to the location of 'her Puzzle' had been what had done that.

Obviously something was wrong here. The girl had to have received the Puzzle from a brother or the like. It couldn't have been her who had put it together. He would just have to get the information from her mind and then, if it was necessary, wipe the information from the girl's mind.

Raising his Millennium Key and pointing it at the girl's forehead she showed some survival instinct by backing off a couple of steps, obviously wary but he couldn't let her escape and he tapped the key on the girl's head and twisted, unlocking the young one's mind.

What he saw on the other side surprised him. The girl had two doors in her mind.

That wasn't normal. Two doors indicated two minds in one body, possibly caused by possession or schizophrenia. He needed to find out what was in the minds of both and whether he would need to wipe both clean when this was all over.

He started with the less dangerous looking door, the wooden one with the bright glow that spilled out into the dark corridor that led to a room full of games and toys.

He stepped through the open door, into the plain walled, brightly lit room beyond. It was a child's play room and Shadi would have dismissed the girl there and then as someone of a simple mind, except the games that were being played were of an intellectual nature.

Even as he stepped around the puzzles being completed from the outside in, half finished card games and the one chess game that looked half finished, he was working out how to rearrange all of it so that she didn't lose her intelligence but didn't remember anything about the Puzzle either...

"Get out!"

Shadi turned around to face the speaker, surprised that the girl whose room this was had enough confidence to order him out of her room, only to find that he wasn't speaking to the girl. At least not alone.

There were two of them. One short with innocent features and wide amethyst eyes, and one taller, but still short by the standards of most, with sharp ruby eyes and a wary expression. Both of them had the same sort of build, both with the same shortish black hair which was red at the tips and blonde, grown out, fringes.

The taller of the two kept the shorter pressed to her side, keeping her close, as if she didn't want Shadi to get his hands on her, as she stepped into the room, glowering at him as she did so.

"Get out now. You don't belong here."

"Who are you?" Shadi asked, confused as to how there were two versions of what was obviously the same person standing before him. The girl's room showed no signs of a fractured spirit and that was what it would take unless...

"I told you to get out. I will not allow any harm to come to Imoto-Chan." The arm around the smaller girl tightened slightly and though the little one gave the older a slightly confused look she didn't wriggle free. "If you won't leave willingly, I will make you."

"Your sister is in possession of something that doesn't belong to her. The Puzzle must go to its destined place."

"The Puzzle is hers." The taller said, glowering at him, "She completed it. No one else."

Shadi's eyes widened and he considered the small girl who looked semi-insulted that he'd accuse her of stealing and semi-confused as to what was going on.

"If it's the Puzzle's powers you're after, you want my room." The taller said, "Not hers, but be warned, the last man who tried to take the Puzzle, well..." She didn't add anymore but her tone told him quite enough. The older girl had dealt with the issue mercilessly.

"You completed the Puzzle?" Shadi decided to, not ignore the threat from the older girl, but put it aside for a moment in order to question the younger, "On your own? You had no help?"

"It took me eight years, but I completed it." The shorter one nodded, "The only help I had was when someone returned a piece of the Puzzle to me."

"And who had it before you? A boyfriend?" Shadi asked, wondering if she'd completed it on someone else's behalf, or whether the true holder had given it to her as a present.

"She's no thief if that's what you're suggesting..." The older girl's tone turned more hostile.

"My Grandfather gave it to me." The smaller shook her head, "I don't..." The room's lights darkened slightly as dark memories flickered across the girl's mind, but brightened again when the taller murmured something reassuring to the smaller.

"I challenge you to a game." The taller scowled at Shadi, hating those memories and wishing she'd been able to do something about the thugs, "If you find the true room of my soul, you win and I will go with you."

"But..." The smaller started to protest but trailed off when the taller gave her a reassuring smile.

"Of course when you lose, you'll have to leave our rooms and never return." The taller continued, losing the smile the moment she turned back to Shadi. Obviously he'd made a bad impression. "I'll even stay out of your way, I'll wait in my true room." Then, if it was possible, her scowl deepened, "However if you damage even one hair on Imoto-Chan's head I'll send you to the deepest, darkest part of the Shadow Realm for all eternity, and believe me, I know something of what a few thousand years in the dark feels like."

"I'll play." Shadi could sense her power and didn't doubt the taller girl could do what she threatened, plus he was too intrigued by her to decline, "I feel it's only fair to warn you, however, that once I'm in the true room of your soul, I'll be able to change it in any way I like. I could even turn you against your sister..."

The small girl tensed up and looked at the taller with a concerned look. The older however, looked unconcerned, as she hid the anger at the thought that he would use her against the light that had freed her from the darkness, "You'll have to find my room first."

"Then by all means, lead the way and let the game begin."

  
  


 


	11. Forcing Their Hands

Shadi preceded the taller girl through the Soul-room door, allowing her a chance to speak with her small companion. "I want you to stay here." She told her, releasing the girl from her hold, "Where it's safe."

"Oneesan?" Yugi asked the taller girl, only to be rewarded with a small, tight smile.

"Yes, Imoto-chan, it's an honour to finally meet you." Oneesan nodded, trying to project more calm than she currently felt. She had wanted for so long to meet the one who had freed her face to face, but for it to come about because of some arse breaking into her little sister's mind wasn't fair. "I wish it could be under better circumstances, but I will be back to talk to you once I've evicted that man from our minds."

"Can I help?" Yugi asked, then flinched and wished she'd stayed quiet at the sharp look Oneesan gave her, ruby red eyes seeming to examine her from head to toe.

"Sorry." Oneesan apologised as she saw the brief flicker of fear behind the amethyst eyes staring back at her, "But no. You can best help by staying here. The maze of my mind is full of danger. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you because you tried to help me. If I know you're safe, I can focus on dealing with _him_."

"Alright." Yugi nodded her understanding but couldn't help feeling like she had to rely on others while once again they went into danger on her behalf as Oneesan slipped out of the brightly lit room.

The ancient spirit let out a heavy sigh as she paused between Imoto-chan's room and the one where she could already feel Shadi rummaging around. She had told the man that she would wait for him in the true room of her soul, but the truth was... she had absolutely no idea where it was. She hadn't been awake long enough to have found it in the ever shifting mess that was the maze of her mind, or possibly the inside of the Millennium Puzzle. She hadn't worked that out either.

As she stepped into the huge maze that made up the room she normally slept in she let her magic spread out, trying to sense exactly where the man she'd Challenged was. When she finally got a ping on him she darted after him, heading up the stairs. She'd never explored this room, she'd never been keen on the idea. Every time she'd been awake something had screamed at her to stay out and she'd listened to it, more than content to be her sister's bodyguard and little else.

To be fair,she had better things, like the safety of her little sister, to worry about. That the room changed every time she entered the room was interesting, but not as important as what was going on in the real world. She knew Imoto-chan didn't mean to get into as much trouble as she did, but quite frankly Oneesan was exhausted.

Within days of each other she had Challenged Kaiba, the shop keeper and Chono-sensei, all of which had been a drain on her resources. The game with Kaiba in particular had been both exasperating and intense. She'd known Kaiba the moment she'd laid eyes on him, yet she had no memory of his face or name.

Getting her mind back on the game, she narrowly dodged under one of the hundreds of traps that made up the maze and up the next flight of stairs, she wondered about her opponent. What did the man want? He must have entered Imoto-chan's mind for a reason, but Oneesan couldn't work out what it was.

He had known what the Puzzle was, that much was obvious, and he had seemed surprised that a girl had been holding the item. Why would that matter? Had it been held by a man before it had been shattered? She doubted it. She remembered no other wielder and had been sealed away for so long that she had to have been the last to use it before Imoto-chan.

Reaching the top of the stairs just in time to see the man open a door and step through, Oneesan went to shoot forward, only to be stopped in her tracks by something that belonged to her from a past age...

" _Don't worry." The boy who was untying her wrists reassured her, "Father's on his way. There's no way Anubis is going to get away with this."_

" _Brother..." Oneesan hesitated. Her brother, who was just a year older than her, was in line for the throne since the deaths of their older siblings. If he was killed, their line would end and everything their brothers had given their lives for would be worthless. Anubis had to have known that when he'd had the children of the Pharaoh grabbed right from under their guardian's noses._

" _I know, I know, be careful right?" The Prince asked as her wrists came free from their bindings and she could move them in front of her. Moving between her and entrance to the tent they were being held in, the boy - who looked shockingly similar to her to the point where they had been mistaken for each other before - grimaced._

" _I was more wondering what your plan was now." Oneesan whispered as she followed him. "You do have one, right?"_

" _Of course I do." Her brother nodded, "We steal a couple of horses and ride like Ammit himself is on our heels."_

" _That's insane."_

" _You have a better plan?" Her brother's sharp, amethyst eyes turned on her, causing her to flinch slightly._

" _No. No. You're right." Oneesan shook her head, "We need to get out of here before the..."_

" _Guards come back?" Both children jumped and looked at the entrance in the same moment, her brother letting out a soft groan as he realised who was in the doorway._

" _Anubis!" Her brother pulled Oneesan behind him and glowered at the man who had arranged for the children to be seized from their bedrooms by men he had placed inside the palace. "You were exiled from Egypt! You have no right to be..."_

_The man who had the audacity to name himself after a God swept across the tent and seized her brother by the throat, lifting the thirteen year old off of the ground and choking the boy._

" _Listen, little boy. This isn't your Egypt anymore." Anubis smirked as Oneesan's brother made a hoarse sound that was between a gasp and a squeak as he tried to suck air past Anubis's grip, his hands on the man's, trying to pull the huge meaty digits attached to them away from his throat, "I can do whatever the hell I..."_

_Oneesan launched herself at the huge, blonde exile, attempting to tackle him and managing to at least knock him off balance enough that he released his grip on the Crown Prince and staggered a couple of steps. As her brother collapsed, coughing and wheezing, desperately sucking in the life giving substance that Anubis had denied him, the Princess moved between him and the exiled sorcerer. She refused to let him lay another hand on her brother. She might have been the younger sibling, but they were the only children left. She would not lose her only living brother!_

" _You!" Anubis snarled at her, seizing the rough sack that was the only coverings she was currently allowed and shaking her, glowing purple as his rage caused his magical aura to flare. Oneesan didn't back down. She was a daughter of the living Horus, not some scared little street rat. He would not intimidate her. She wouldn't allow it. "I should have thrown you to the men!"_

_The Princess wasn't stupid, she knew what he meant, but she still didn't back down. "I won't let you touch him again."_

" _You? Think you can stop me?" Anubis barked, his amusement obvious, "You're just a little girl who's in over her head. What do you think you can...argh!" Anubis let out an infuriated and agonised bellow as the Prince, who had recovered while his sister had distracted the sorcerer, drove the man's own dagger into Anubis's arm._

_Blood spilling everywhere, Anubis recoiled releasing Oneesan as he did so, his false Millennium Item glowing as he glared at the damage to his limb. Before Oneesan could react, Anubis had, out of pure rage, launched a ball of black fire straight in her direction. Then everything was heat and movement and pain and noise._

_When everything stopped, Oneesan pushed herself to her hands and knees, pain coursing through every last millimetre of her being. There was still noise going on outside the tent, but Oneesan didn't hear it as her gaze rested on the boy lying just a meter away._

" _Brother!" She scrambled to his side, the pain cast aside for the time being as she shook him, "Please, wake up!"_

_He didn't move. There was no groan, no stirring, no response. There wasn't even any movement of his chest._

" _No!" She practically screeched as she put her ear to his chest, listening for the non-existent heartbeat of the boy who had taken brunt of the magical assault for her, his skin blackened and burned in places where the sack covering had burnt away, his form limp, his eyes closed forever._

_Her brother. Her mentor. Her closest friend was gone..._

_Pulling him into her arms and sobbing she barely heard the sound of people entering but she did respond when Mahado shook her shoulder gently. "My Prince?"_

_Oneesan's head shot up though the tears still fell. Mahado was here, that meant her father had to be close too._

_Then another thought hit her. Anubis and his men had false Millennium Items and their sacrificial ritual for summoning the incredibly powerful Ka beasts that Anubis referred to as Gods was still in progress. It had to be stopped._

_There was no way the men would have followed_ _**her** _ _but they thought she was her brother. They would follow her into battle if she played that role for a little while right? And then she could admit the truth once this was all over._

_One little lie wouldn't hurt..._

Oneesan didn't mean to shake herself free of the memory that the man had freed during his hunt, but the pain of the loss of her brother caused her mind to recoil from the source of it. It was a good thing anyway as she snapped out of it just in time to see the man step fully through the door he'd opened, dazed from what he too had seen, and fall through the floor.

Oneesan reacted instantly, darting forward and managing to get a grip on the man's wrist before his own grip on the edge of the hole he'd fallen into had failed him.

"You weren't..."

"We can talk about it in a minute," The spirit groaned as she tried to pull him up, "But..."

She didn't need to continue. The man's other hand shot up and grasped the edge, his efforts allowing Oneesan a little more leverage. She helped the man out of the pit and then watched him silently, wondering what he was going to say.

"I take it I have lost?" The man asked.

"No." Oneesan allowed. He had fallen for the same traps she had and he hadn't cheated. She couldn't penalise him but at the same time he hadn't found the true room of her soul, so he couldn't fulfil his promise either. "This is a tie, nothing more, nothing less."

The man nodded his allowance of that, still considering her carefully. "Yes," He said finally, turning away, heading for the exit, "You're right. Farewell."

"Wait..."

Before she could ask him anything, he had vanished in a bright light. Shooting down the stairs towards the exit that led to Imoto-chan's mind and body, she hoped that she could catch him before he left in the real world. That hope was denied to her as she reached the door to Imoto-chan's mind and body only to find it wouldn't open now that the Key's powers had withdrawn from her sister's mind.

In the real world, Yugi was concerned for the welfare of the man before her. He was on his knees, his head in his hands but he didn't seem to be freaking out. Was it possible that he hadn't been put through a Penalty game?

"Are you alright?" She asked as she offered him a hand up.

"I... I am fine." The man replied slowly, considering her in a completely different, semi-deferent manner, "I believe this is yours." He pulled the Millennium Puzzle out of his robes and handed them to Yugi who practically glomped the golden item.

"My Puzzle!" She grinned as she slipped the rope over her head and the item fell into its customary place, "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me." The Egyptian replied, "I owe you a debt as it is."

"Me?" Yugi asked, confused, "I don't think it's me you're talking about. I think it's Oneesan."

"Oneesan?" He asked, wanting to know if that was what the girl was calling the other part of her soul.

"The other girl. The one who challenged you. _She's_ Oneesan." Yugi informed him.

"Then who, may I ask, are you?"

"Mutou Yugi." Yugi replied instantly before wishing she hadn't, half afraid that he would use it against her. "Who are you?"

"Yugi." The man nodded, testing the name and finding it appropriate for one who held the future of the Shadow Games and the world in her hands "There is something you must do, Yugi."

"What?" The girl asked, confusion obvious on her features.

"You must discover how to work _with_ the one you call Oneesan." He informed her, "And you must solve the riddle of the true power of the Millennium Puzzle, the Puzzle that was hidden for three thousand years."

"Three..." Yugi was shocked. She'd known Oneesan had been a prisoner for a long time, but three thousand years? She couldn't imagine going through what Oneesan had for that long.

"That is the destiny of the one who solves the Puzzle, their duty." The man continued, wanting to impress the importance of her role on the girl stood before him. "My name is Shadi." There was a pause as he realised something, then humour came into his tone for a moment, "This is the first time I've ever told anyone."

"Nice to meet you." Yugi bowed politely to him but he'd walked past by the time she'd straightened.

"There is one other I must place on trial." Shadi's tone was full of warning now, "One more man who defiled the territory of the Gods, the Valley of the Kings." Somehow Yugi just knew that he'd be back once he'd finished with his task, but she didn't get to question him as he turned the corner and by the time she'd turned it herself, he was gone.

She swiftly exited the museum and ran home, wanting to get away from the museum as fast as possible. She couldn't escape what had happened there either. It was on the news that the curator of the museum had been killed. After her experiences with Shadi and the way he'd threatened her so easily, she couldn't help but think he had been the killer.

And he had all but promised he was coming back to Challenge her again.

What had he meant? That it was her duty to solve the riddle of the Puzzle's true power. It made no sense to her. She didn't understand what he had said.

The only part she had understood was the fact that if the Puzzle had been hidden for three thousand years, Oneesan had been sealed away for just as long. She remembered what Jou had told her, that Oneesan said she'd had nothing but darkness, pain and fear before she'd freed her... if anything, it made Yugi more determined not to allow Shadi to take the Puzzle from her.

She didn't sleep easy that night, nor the following one after Professor Yoshimori was found dead and people started talking about 'The Pharaoh's Curse' so when school started again on Monday she wasn't really with it. However school was a necessity and not a choice so off she went, herded there by Jou and Anzu. The latter shot off to get something from the school library leaving Jou and Yugi to walk to class.

When Anzu came back she seemed a little off, but none of them got to talk to her until PE came around and even then she seemed to be avoiding Yugi, who once again changed for the lesson but didn't take part. She wouldn't get away with using the Doctor's note as an excuse for much longer though, she could tell that from the fact that the teacher was insisting that she help carry the equipment.

She was sore again by the time the teacher sent her into the equipment storage to get a few things out, her ribs playing up and her wrists grouching. The top Oneesan had bought her (and that she'd had to change out of in the ladies toilets) had been acting like a support for her ribs and had helped keep the pain down so she was really beginning to wish she still had it on as she headed for the back, where racking held what looked like hundreds of balls of various descriptions, from football to rugby, to cricket and rounders, along with a couple of crates of tennis balls. All were in various states of wear and tear and some even looked like they had deflated years ago and never been chucked away.

All this Yugi took a note of as she headed down to where the spare rounder's bats were only to wheel around at high speed, frightened out of her wits at the fact the racking had collapsed behind her, missing her by millimetres.

As she rejoined her friends at lunch time, one of whom was conspicuous from her absence, though Yugi figured that it was quite possible for Anzu to be busy with some of her class rep duties, she explained about what had happened. The boys had already heard about it after all. Both sides of the class had spent the rest of their sessions picking up the balls that had bounced everywhere. They hadn't known, however, how close their friend had been to going splat.

The weird thing had been that there was no way that the racking should have fallen like it had. It had been stable for longer than they'd been in the school. It was weird for the thing to just decide to fall. Still coincidences happened and at least Yugi hadn't been hurt.

As they headed up the stairs, however, Jou got an inkling something was wrong. Unfortunately that feeling came as someone on the steps above threw a ball at Yugi hard enough to knock her down a flight of stairs.

"Honda!" Jou snapped as he darted to Yugi's side.

Honda nodded and darted up, catching Jou's drift. The racking could have been a case of bad luck but this had obviously been deliberately aimed at hurting the small girl. He shot up the flight of stairs as Jou helped their friend sit up. Honda could hear the pain in Yugi's tone as she tried to say that she was fine but whoever it was that had thrown the ball had vanished without a trace.

Jou, of course, insisted that they walk Yugi to the Nurse's office. It made sense since Yugi was still recovering from various injuries, all of which could have been aggravated by the fall, but they were late for class and earned themselves extra homework for their concern for their friend. Homework they were still grouching about when school ended and they headed down to the Nurse's office with Yugi's homework assignments, wondering if the girl was still there.

As they reached the door things were a little too quiet inside. Jou could see figures through the clouded glass, but not make out distinct details.

"Hey," He said as he opened the door, "Is Yugi still...?"

Jou trailed off as the infirmary door slid open to reveal Anzu pinning down Yugi, straddling the smaller girl's stomach with her hands wrapped tightly around Yugi's throat, cutting off Yugi's airways if the desperate thrashing and tiny, scratchy sounds escaping the smaller girl were anything to go by.

Jou's hands balled into fists as he realised Yugi's hands were wrapped around Anzu's wrists, desperately tugging at them, trying to free herself and draw breath, but Anzu was a lot stronger and heavier than she. Yugi didn't stand a chance.

"What are you doing!?" Jou demanded, darting into the room and causing Anzu to back off, leaving Yugi to roll onto her side, coughing and spluttering, her face screwed up in pain as her body tried to draw in more breath than her healing ribs would allow.

"Show me your true power. I do this so I can finish things with you." Anzu demanded of Yugi, who opened her eyes and gave Anzu a confused, pained, hurt look, unaware of what Anzu could mean and why Anzu would want to strangle her.

"The hell…?" Jou demanded as Anzu darted out of the room, pushing past Honda who tried to grab her on her way past but missed by millimetres, "You okay, Yugi?" He asked as her breathing finally evened out.

"Somehow." Yugi nodded, her words laced with the pain that wracked her body, "Jou… Anzu sounded…"

"Wrong, I know." Jou nodded, having noticed that himself. It wasn't just a slight change either, like when Oneesan took control of Yugi's body, "You don't think…"

"What the hell is going on?" Honda demanded, "Why was Anzu trying to…"

"I don't think that was Anzu." Yugi spoke carefully, trying to think about what had happened.

"What do you…?" Honda trailed off, his eyes widening, "You mean like you and Oneesan are different people?"

"Maybe…" Yugi bit her lower lip, thinking about how Anzu had demanded that she bring the spirit out and when Yugi hadn't known how, Anzu had tried to strangle her, probably assuming that Oneesan would wake up if she was in danger.

But it had been Anzu, or at least it had looked like Anzu and Yugi had been unwilling to set her Other Self on her friend, even though it could have cost her her life.

"How the hell did Anzu get possessed?" Jou demanded, confused and a little frightened, though he was making sure that the latter wasn't obvious for Yugi's sake.

"I don't know…" Yugi shook her head, trying to remember why Anzu's voice had sounded so familiar. Then it hit her, who Anzu had sounded like, the Egyptian man, Shadi, who had wanted to erase her mind and had caused the first real meeting between herself and Oneesan since she'd solved the Puzzle, had sounded much the same.

Everything that had happened today, the falling gym equipment that had been securely in place just moments before, the ball that come from nowhere and had knocked her down the stairs, even Anzu's actions made sense if he was trying to draw Oneesan out.

But how was he controlling Anzu? And why was he using her friends against her?

She didn't care about her own safety, but if he was going after them because he wanted to get to her… It wasn't fair.

"Honda, stay here with Yugi. It's obvious that whatever's possessing Anzu wants Yuge dead. I'll go looking for it."

"Jou..." Yugi hesitated. She was pretty certain it wasn't her death Shadi was seeking, but the only thing she could think of if that was the case was that he was trying to lure Oneesan out for some reason and she couldn't work out why.

"I'll be okay Yuge, I promise." Jou grinned at her, ruffling her head before shooting off to find their friend.

"You. Sit." Honda glowered at Yugi, pointing at a bed as he did so and wondering where the hell the nurse had gotten too. Yugi followed instructions, sitting on the bed, glad now for the top Oneesan had bought her. The piece of leather armour had stopped the downwards tumble from injuring her seriously.

Her hand went to her sore throat as she thought about what was happening and if she could do anything about it. Shadi wanted Oneesan in control but Yugi didn't know how to call her out from the Puzzle. The only way so far had been injury or shock. It was probably why Shadi kept trying to push her close to death. He was pushing for a pissed off Oneesan.

Something worried Yugi more than the thought that Shadi would go too far and kill her, though. The thought that he'd decide that trying to attacking her wasn't enough to cause the change and that he'd go after her friends. She needed to end this now, before he got his hands on Jou or Honda, or worse, her grandfather.

Waiting until Honda wasn't looking, Yugi slipped out of the infirmary, hunting for her friend. It wasn't difficult, Anzu wasn't hiding from her after all and the moment Yugi gave chase Anzu fled, heading up the stairs and towards the roof.

Yugi followed, having trouble keeping up with her much taller friend and panting heavily by the time she reached the top of the stairwell. Catching her breath as she stepped out into the bright sunlight, she froze up in horror as she saw Anzu stood on a wooden plank that was supported using rope and overhung the school's courtyard, which was several stories below.

"Anzu!" Yugi darted forwards, only for Shadi to step in her way.

"I've been pushing you to summon the other you, the one you call Oneesan, but it seems you won't appear for me." Shadi seemed disappointed about that, "So I can meet the older sister again, I will try something else." Yugi got the feeling he wasn't talking to her, but to the spirit who was currently asleep in her Puzzle.

"Leave Anzu alone!" Yugi demanded, determined to stand up for her friend.

"Listen, Yugi." Shadi ignored her, "That girl is my puppet. At my orders she will do anything."

Yugi didn't doubt his words. He had been the one who had controlled Anzu over the course of the day and forced the girl to try to murder her but even now she couldn't force Oneesan out of her slumber and into her body. She didn't know how. She couldn't communicate with the spirit of the Puzzle, she couldn't even fake emotions well enough to wake her other self up.

She needed Oneesan, but she couldn't get to her.

"Well, Yugi?" Shadi asked, "Be angry, be hateful, be full of despair. At the edge of your emotions, like a relay runner waiting for the baton, your other self waits."

Despair was coursing through the girl. There was nothing she could do, no way to fight someone with magic without knowing how to control the powers of her Puzzle. She was helpless up here and there was nothing, nothing she could do to help her friend whose only crime had been to hang around with the local bully magnet.

The Puzzle started glowing as the power inside reacted to her emotions, causing Shadi to put the final nail in.

"If I ordered that girl to die, she would kill herself."

As Anzu took a half step forward, as if about to jump, magic flared from the one to complete the Millennium Puzzle as the girl gave into hopelessness and despair. Shadi watched as an illusion settled itself over the girl's form, making her look taller, changing her hair and eye colours and darkening the world around her.

Oneesan had finally arrived.

"SHADI!" She bellowed the moment she was fully in control.

"So we meet again, Other Yugi." The Egyptian smirked at her, "Or should I call you Oneesan, as your other self does?"

"I am Oneesan." The spirit of the Puzzle retorted, "Guardian of the one who completed the Puzzle and all her friends. For the crimes you've committed against them, for having the audacity to push Imoto-chan close to death and use my friend in your games, you will pay."

"I _**will**_ test you, Oneesan, no matter what the cost." Shadi snorted at the openly angry girl before him, "And if you lose, you will lose your friend."

Oneesan's hands balled into fists as she beheld her brainwashed friend on the plank.

"Before we continue, let me say one thing about the Millennium Puzzle." Shadi spoke confidently, "You may have thought it coincidence that you completed the Puzzle, but that is wrong. The Millennium Puzzle chose you."

Oneesan scowled. She'd never doubted that the Puzzle had chosen her little sister. After all the work and hopes and dreams and fears Imoto-chan had poured into the project, of course there was no one else suitable to hold the golden item.

"It's been waiting three thousand years, just as my family have." Shadi continued but Oneesan cut him off.

"Don't say it like it makes us friends. I don't want to hear that nonsense. Not after what you have pulled." She snarled at the robed man. "Explain the rules and let's play already."

"Don't be afraid, Oneesan."

"Afraid?" Oneesan asked, confused.

"Somewhere in your heart you fear the powers you have. The powers even you don't know about yet."

He was wrong. It wasn't that which was hidden she feared... it was the facts in front of her. A simple mistake with her Imoto-chan could send her back into the darkness for the gods only knew how long. She doubted she would be allowed to keep her memories of her freedom if her prison had anything to do with it.

"As proof, look there..." Shadi pointed to the clay statues that were holding the ropes that held up the board Anzu was stood on. One shattered and the rope slipped away.

"Anzu!" Oneesan yelped but held her ground. She hadn't known the game was in motion already, it was a cheap shot by their opponent, still there had to be a way of evening the playing field.

"Those clay dolls are shabti, they serve those who walk beyond." Shadi explained, "In this game they represent your heart. If you show weakness, they will shatter and your friend will fall to her death."

Oneesan growled, pissed off now. How dare he? How dare he use her friends like this?

"Yugi! Let the game begin!"

 


	12. Finally

Shadi had had his doubts about necessity of the Shadow Game he was running. The King of Games had returned, after all. Shadi's duty was clear. The Tomb Keepers were supposed to provide that which would allow the Pharaoh to defeat the evil that would, with the King's rebirth, soon renew the destruction that it had started five thousand years ago.

But the King of Games had turned out to be a Queen. The legends had spoken of 'he who had sacrificed his life to save the world' and the fact that 'he' had rended his soul in two. Not she. There not a single mention of the Pharaoh being female in the scriptures. He knew, he had studied them while they were still only handful of years old.

And yet she was the King. There was no room for doubt about that, not when she had completed the Millennium Puzzle, the golden artefact of ancient power that had been sealed in her tomb. Not when he had seen what he had. And certainly not when she had already proved to control the Shadows even when she had no memory of who she was or why part of her was imprisoned in the ancient item.

His justification was that, while he was certain the Pharaoh's Light was trustworthy, having seen the true rooms of her soul he could not say the same for the Pharaoh's Darkness. Her mazelike mind had kept him away from her true room, and considering that she had spent three thousand trapped in the Shadows he had to make sure that she hadn't been warped by the experience and that the enemy hadn't managed to get its claws into her.

Still, as the third game progressed, he was convinced that the Pharaoh was still of her right mind, though it was a shame that the faith she had in others was about to get her killed. Shadi had conjured up an image of her friend, Jou. However it wasn't the Jou that she knew now. The one that would protect her from any danger. No, this was the Jou of the past, the one who had bullied the Pharaoh's Light and nearly prevented any chance of the Pharaoh ever bringing herself back together.

The game was simple. They took turns tossing the Puzzle and the opponent had to take two steps in the direction it pointed. The loser was the one who had to walk off the edge and into the pit that had opened up around them.

Unfortunately for the Pharaoh, she refused to play such a dangerous game with a friend. Her faith in him, that he wouldn't let her come to harm no matter what sort of illusion Shadi had cast, was going to cause her to fall next turn while Jou had yet to need to take a single step.

And there was nothing Shadi could do to stop it.

Maybe it was better this way. If she could not defeat his Shadow Game, then she did not stand a chance against the Thief King who Shadi knew was out there, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. If he found out that the Pharaoh was back, he would be here in a heartbeat and if he defeated the Pharaoh the world would end.

"Last turn, Yugi." Shadi informed the Pharaoh's Darkness, who shot a glare in his direction but didn't pick up the Puzzle.

"I won't play." She snarled, still not completely sure if the Jou before her was real or just another illusion but refusing to risk his safety either way.

"Then..." Shadi paused, confused as his copy, who had picked up the Puzzle, just gave the Pharaoh's Darkness, the one the Pharaoh's other self called Oneesan, a small, amused smile and disappeared, the Puzzle landing pointing away from the pit, which slowly faded away as the Pharaoh picked up the golden artefact.

"I told you." She turned to Shadi as she slipped the rope over her head, "Jou would never hurt me."

It didn't make sense. This was his game, his rules. His illusion should have completed the game properly, not just vanished. Shadi's shabti shattered, allowing the Millennium Key to slide down the rope to Anzu's hand, the contact undoing the spell that allowed Shadi to hold sway over her mind.

The sound of Anzu shrieking tore the Pharaoh's attention away from Shadi.

"Anzu!" Oneesan scrambled over the fence as fast as possible as the rope frayed, slowing for a moment when she realised that Jou was supporting the board as best he could but managing to get over in time to grab the fence with one hand and her friend's wrist with the other and, with a pained cry, preventing the girl from falling to her death.

"Yugi!" Shadi heard Jou shout as Anzu grabbed the fence for herself, getting a firm footing on the edge of the roof.

"I...I'm okay..." The Pharaoh replied, her face ashen and her body shaking heavily. Anzu grabbed her friend as the Pharaoh swayed slightly, arms wrapping around her torso, and pushed her towards the fence. The Pharaoh didn't need a second hint, she slowly climbed the fence surrounding the roof of the school. Her feet landed firmly on the solid surface only for the rest of her to fall forwards.

"Yugi!" The other boy, Honda, managed to catch the Pharaoh before she hit the floor. A pained whimper that sounded like it came not from 'Oneesan' but her Other Self, the part of her that had been reborn, emerged as the blonde male scrambled over the fence and placed himself between Shadi and the girls.

"I can help." Shadi informed them, watching as the Pharaoh's Light leaned heavily on her friend, the same one that had nearly killed her thrice over and realising that his actions today had hurt his Pharaoh far more than he could justify.

"You've helped enough." The blonde, Jou, he remembered, snarled at him, reminding Shadi of a vicious guard dog.

"I can heal the injuries I've inflicted." Shadi told them, calling to the Shadows as he did so. "Think of it as penance for the trouble I've caused."

"I don't..."

"Jou." The voice of the Pharaoh's Light interrupted what was sure to be an impressive rant, "He can't harm us anymore. Oneesan won." She watched him with a trusting, yet slightly wary expression that encouraged him to explain further.

"There's a basic healing spell, one of the first an item holder learns." Shadi gave the girl a curious look, "You should know it."

"Oneesan doesn't remember anything." The Pharaoh's Light shook her head.

"She wouldn't." Shadi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Why?" The girl looked confused.

"If you allow me to treat you, I will explain." Shadi informed her, ignoring Jou's glowering.

"Jou." The blonde stepped aside at the tacit command, though if either of them were aware that it was a command, neither showed it.

"This is will hurt." Shadi warned as he moved to the side of the reincarnated and injured Pharaoh, "There's nothing I can do about that." He saw the girl tense up, "The human body isn't designed to have raw Shadow Magic coursing through it. However I can direct it to heal your injuries, if you allow me to."

"I..." She looked nervous, understandable really. "You'll teach me how to do it afterwards?"

"If you are capable, yes." Shadi nodded, unconvinced that she would be in any fit state to learn from him once he was done but willing to humour her.

"Alright then..." The Pharaoh's Light nodded, bracing herself.

"I'm sorry." He was honest about that at least as he placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and directed the magic he'd gathered into the Pharaoh's Light to heal her various wounds.

Jou fell through Shadi as he tried to pull him away from the Pharaoh the moment she screamed in agony as the Shadows flowed through her, healing all of her injuries, mending fractures, fixing damaged ligaments, easing bruises and closing scrapes. In hindsight, it would have been kinder to use a sleeping spell first – the healing couldn't have been pleasant – but the blonde boy caught her before she hit the ground.

"Yuge!" The blonde exclaimed as he checked the girl over, before laying her carefully on the ground. He wheeled around to glower at Shadi, but the long deceased guardian of the Millennium Items had already taken advantage of the distraction and disappeared.

* * *

 

It hurt more than anything she had ever been through before. The magic coursing through her tore at something she couldn't explain deep within her. Even as the swirling dark energy did as Shadi had promised and healed the various injuries that she had, her soul screamed in agony as her ribs snapped back into place, her damaged wrists regenerated and all the cuts and bruises slowly faded away.

She couldn't take it, she just couldn't.

Her body had already passed out, but her mind couldn't just fade out, the Shadows wouldn't let it.

Then everything smoothed out, the sensations from her body were less jarring. The pain filtered, as though she was watching someone else go through it on TV and suffering sympathy pangs.

' _I've got you.'_ The voice sounded like hers, but older and more powerful, tinged with the same pain. _'Just hold tight...'_

" _Oneesan..."_ Yugi squeezed one of the hands that had grasped hers.

' _I'm here Imoto-chan.'_ The words were accompanied by the feeling of someone carefully taking her into their arms and holding her close to their chest, supporting and protecting her, _'You're safe now. I promise.'_

Too tired and hurt to argue, Yugi allowed herself to drift away.

When she awoke again it was to find herself in the room Shadi had invaded, curled up in the arms of the one she called Oneesan.

She looked up at her protector and found that she wasn't the only one who had been resting. Oneesan was fast asleep as well. The girl shifted slightly, trying to edge out from the arms of her Other Self only for the ancient spirit to tighten her grip with a slight grimace.

"I'm alright." Yugi promised, her voice soft as she touched Oneesan's arm gently, trying to offer support and reassurance without waking the other girl. The touch did its job. Oneesan relaxed just enough for Yugi to slip out of her guardian's arms. Surprisingly, Yugi did feel better. Much better in fact, then she had since she had completed the Puzzle a couple of months ago. There was no lingering pain, no awkward aches, no weaknesses in her limbs. Any harm she'd suffered seemed to have been undone.

She turned to consider her guardian carefully. Oneesan looked like her. She'd kind of expected it. After all, Oneesan used her body. There were differences though, if she looked hard enough. The blonde streaks in her hair. The fact Oneesan looked older, tougher...

Yugi couldn't help but wonder if Oneesan was the model for how she'd look in a few years time.

Leaving her protector and, hopefully friend to get some well deserved sleep, Yugi carefully stepped around the toys and games scattered all over the floor and moved into the hallway where a heavy, iron door marked with the Eye of Anubis she recognised from the Millennium Puzzle caught her eye.

If the room she'd left was hers, then the one the door led on to had to belong to Oneesan. Her hand brushed the cold surface momentarily, closing around the door handle, only to be pulled away by another hand that was wrapped around her wrist. She turned to its owner to find that Oneesan had woken up and didn't look amused.

"It's not safe in there." Oneesan informed her, glowering at the door, "Not even for me."

"Sorry..." Yugi replied, feeling guilty, "Did I wake you?"

"It's okay." Oneesan shrugged it off, "I'll sleep once you wake up."Oneesan examined her thoroughly, concern obvious on her features as Yugi tried to work out what Oneesan meant by her not being awake. "You're unharmed?" Oneesan asked, not able to see any injuries but worried none the less.

"I'm okay." Yugi nodded, biting her lower lip for a moment before asking, "Are you? You passed out and..."

"I'm fine." Oneesan let out a soft snort, "It just hurt."

"I noticed." Yugi admitted ruefully, then looked embarrassed as she gazed down at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Oneesan asked, confused by the sudden mood switch.

"You saved me. Again. You keep having to save me." Yugi replied quietly, still not looking up at her protector who was about a head taller than her.

"Imoto-chan..." Oneesan's tone caused Yugi to look up more effectively than any gesture could have done. "You have done more for me than I have for you."

"But..."

"Before you, I had nothing." Oneesan told her, "Nothing but pain and fear and darkness. Then you solved the Puzzle and freed me, and my world exploded in colour and light and instead of being alone, I had Jou and Ojiisan and you. And you were hurt, you were frightened and you were in danger. I couldn't let that stand, not when you had given me back everything I had lost."

Yugi surprised herself as much as she surprised Oneesan with her response, hugging her other self tightly. The spirit of the Puzzle froze for a moment, as if unsure how to respond, then returned the gesture.

"You're everything to me, Imoto-chan." Oneesan murmured into Yugi's hair, "Looking out for you is both my duty and my pleasure, because when you're happy, I am too." The sound of voices echoing down the corridor caused the two to pull apart, Yugi looking embarrassed and Oneesan resigned, "And now, I'm afraid, it sounds like it's time for you to wake up."

"But I am awake." Yugi protested, confusion catching hold again.

"Not really. This," Oneesan gestured to their surroundings, "Is all in your mind. Your body is that way." The spirit of the Puzzle pointed down the corridor towards a bright light.

"I'll be back later." Yugi promised.

"No you won't." Oneesan sounded sad about that, "The only reason you're here now is because I had to hold you tight to prevent the Shadows from sweeping you away."

"What?" Yugi yelped, a little frightened at the thought of Oneesan having to stand against the tide of Shadows that Shadi had sent to heal her.

"You're light, Imoto-chan, pure, untainted light." Oneesan tried to explain, "When Shadi cast that blasted spell, either he didn't know that or didn't care."

"Why is it important?" Yugi asked, confused.

"The Shadows would do anything to shred a soul as bright as yours. They feed on souls you see and a pure light..." Oneesan shuddered but Yugi got the picture. Light cast shadows after all, she could imagine that the magic would feed well from her. Then she got a horrible thought.

"Please tell me you don't..."

"Of course not." Oneesan shook her head violently, "I wouldn't feed souls to that accursed realm. I refuse to inflict on them what I had to suffer for so long." Yugi hugged her again. This time the return hug was brief and before too long Oneesan put her hands on Yugi's shoulders and pushed her away slightly. "Imoto-chan, listen to me." The older of the pair said, her hands gripping Yugi's shoulders, "I know you're frightened of what I can do, but you have to believe me on this one thing. I will NEVER hurt you or anyone you consider a friend. I swore to Jou that if I did I would break the Puzzle and send myself back to the darkness."

"But the other people..." Yugi started.

"I don't just Challenge random people, Imoto-chan, you know that." Oneesan interrupted, scolding her slightly, "That criminal would have killed you and Anzu. Those gang members kidnapped and tortured you for daring to help a friend. Inogashira's band of thugs broke three of your ribs and don't get me started on the rest of them..."

"I know but..." Yugi looked away again.

"You don't like what I do but I never do more than is needed. They're not getting hurt because of you. They're getting taught a lesson because of their own actions." Oneesan tried to explain, "There's a difference between Challenging someone to a Shadow Game for no reason and Challenging someone to make them understand how to be a better person." The spirit of the Puzzle let out a soft sigh, "But if you liked my Shadow Games, you wouldn't be you."

"I..." Yugi went silent, causing her other self to huff slightly.

"I promise I'll only Challenge those who cause harm first." Oneesan swore, then her tone took on an amused but slightly frustrated edge, "Jou won't let me do more than that."

Yugi smiled slightly. Jou was a good friend. To both of them. If he was watching Oneesan's actions she could trust that it wouldn't go too far again.

"Now." Oneesan said, scowling as the voices got louder, "I think it's time you went outside. We have no idea how long we've been out cold. The others are probably worried."

"Down there, right?" Imoto-chan asked, pointing towards the light. When Oneesan nodded, Yugi followed the corridor. As she stepped into the brightness, the last thing she heard was a heavy iron door slamming closed before she was blinking at her surroundings in the real world. Shadi had cast his spell while she had been on the school roof... That was, however, not where she had woken up. Instead she found herself tucked up in her bed, wearing pyjamas yet still with the Millennium Puzzle around her neck. The shouting, it sounded like, was coming from the corridor beyond the door of her attic conversion.

Slipping out of bed quickly, she marvelled for a moment at the fact she didn't ache anywhere, just as she hadn't in her mind. Then she slipped into the hallway just in time to find Jou and Honda bickering in the store room that had been converted into a spare bedroom before she'd come out of hospital after the gang incident. Or at least caught the tail end of it. As she waved to Honda, who had spotted her first, she realised she recognised the phase they were in now: 'glower-each-other-into-submission'. A phase she had just interrupted.

"Yuge!" Honda had spotted her first but Jou was the first to react, his bellow loud enough to set her ears ringing as he darted past his adversary in the debate and hugged Yugi so tightly she thought her ribs were going to crack again.

"Ack! Jou...need to breathe." Yugi gasped, ashamed she had worried him this much and yet pleased that he cared enough to be concerned. The blonde released her quickly at her complaint, looking her up and down.

"You're ok, right?" He asked, worry obvious as Honda nodded to her, concern in his features even if he wasn't as obvious about it as Jonouchi.

"Shadi's spell worked." Yugi nodded, noting the way Jou's expression darkened at her words.

"Shadi's spell had you screaming, hell it had _Oneesan_ screaming _."_ Jou glowered at her, "You were out for two days, Yugi!"

"Almost three." Honda interrupted Jou's ranting.

"Three..." Yugi squeaked. She'd figured maybe a few hours, maybe a day at worst, but she'd lost three days? "What about school?"

"Think you're sick." Jou pointed to a pile of books on the table just outside her door, "Wasn't far wrong. You still have to do your homework though." Some of the relief came back to Jou's features, along with amusement as Yugi sulked as she realised just how much schoolwork she had to do.

"Yugi." Yugi wheeled around at the softly spoken, but ever so concerned call. Her grandpa was stood in the living room doorway, watching her as if he wasn't sure if he was actually seeing her or whether she was just a figment of his imagination.

"Ojiisan..." Yugi started but didn't continue her apology. Not because she didn't want to, but because he had shot up the corridor with surprising speed for a man of his age and drawn his granddaughter into his arms. Yugi hugged him back just as tightly, ashamed when she realised that he was shaking heavily and tears were soaking her top.

They were there for a good while before Sugoroku pulled away and examined her carefully. "You gave me a fright, madam." He scolded Yugi, who didn't know what to say. "I've met Shadi before, he's not one to help people unless it helps him."

"He promised..." Yugi trailed off, feeling stupid now for trusting the man and worrying her friends and family.

Sugoroku sighed and led his granddaughter down to the living room. Once there he ushered her to the sofa before disappearing into the kitchen. Jou and Honda joined her as she waited for him to return, confusion obvious on her features. The elderly gentleman returned with tea and a slightly sad look.

"Ojiisan?" Yugi asked, worried.

"I have a lot to tell you, Yugi-chan." Her grandpa informed her, "And some of it you'll think you know and other parts are brand new, but all of it relates to what happened a few days ago. Before I tell you, however, I want to hear what you know about Shadi, your Puzzle and your other self."

"You know?" Jou yelped.

"He's been giving Oneesan pocket money." Yugi sighed, "She used it to buy me that leather vest I was wearing when I fell down the stairs."

"You didn't fall, that prick knocked you down them." Jou corrected her. Even if it had been Anzu's body, no-one counted that.

Yugi froze as she realised that Anzu wasn't there with the rest of them and she bit her lower lip as she asked, "Does she remember what happened?"

"No." The sound of a fourth voice joining the conversation made Yugi jump to her feet and wheel around to face the speaker. Before she completed the action Jou and Honda had moved between the newcomer and the two Mutous. "She remembers nothing and it would be kinder to leave it that way."

"Shadi." Sugoroku sounded about as amused as the two teenage boys, one of whom was vibrating with rage while the other gave the intruder the dirtiest look imaginable. "I believe we had an agreement."

Yugi blinked between her grandfather, a Master of Games in his own right, and Shadi, who had control over Shadow Games, just like Oneesan as Shadi let out a sound that was vaguely like amusement.

"Yes, I believe we did." Shadi agreed, "But I also have one with my Pharaoh, and my duties to her precede any agreement with you."

"Pharaoh?" Jou yelped, "Yuge? You have to be joking."

Yugi was just as shocked as Jou, partly because of what Shadi just said and partly because her grandfather hadn't seemed surprised at Shadi's announcement.

"Your duties don't include endangering my granddaughter's life, Tomb Keeper." Sugoroku glowered at the long dead Egyptian spirit. "Nor rendering her unconscious for three days."

"Ojiisan?" Yugi asked, completely confused, "What's going on?"

"He's not supposed to be here. I won his little trial." Sugoroku informed them.

"He Challenged you?" Sugoroku could hear the capital letter on the C and worked out swiftly what Yugi meant.

"A long time ago." The elderly gamer nodded, "When I recovered the Puzzle from its resting place." He looked at Yugi, noting the way her hand went to it instinctively, "He wasn't best pleased."

"But you told us..." Yugi blinked at him.

"I was trying to scare you into giving it up." Sugoroku admitted with a rueful smile. "But it belongs with you. For more than one reason."

"Those reasons are why I'm here now." Shadi interrupted, looking at Yugi. "My Pharaoh, I have a lot to tell you."

"I don't understand." Yugi looked confused. "Why are you calling me Pharaoh?"

"Some things are still hidden, even from us Tomb Keepers." Shadi told her, "But I have a lot to tell you none the less."

"Anything that helps Oneesan is better than nothing." Yugi spoke, her tone wavering in her nervousness. This was it, finally a chance to find out more about Oneesan, even if Shadi had thought she was a man. Maybe she'd even finally find out Oneesan's name. She had an odd feeling that Oneesan would almost be content without anything else if she could just have that.

Shadi considered the girl before him. He didn't think she was ready for the full story. He didn't think she would ever be ready but he could give her enough to get her started on the path. "Three thousand years ago the Pharaohs of Egypt wielded a great power. That power allowed them to protect Egypt from invasion and judge those who committed acts of evil."

"The Shadow Games." Yugi understood instantly, realising that while Oneesan didn't remember her past, the spirit had been acting on instinct by Challenging those that had, in her eyes, committed acts of evil by harming Yugi.

"Indeed." Shadi nodded, moving around the room so the Pharaoh could sit again and becoming amused when the two boys kept themselves between them at all times. "However a war erupted that threatened to destroy the known world. The forces of the Pharaoh battled with the Thief King and the demons at his disposal. Finally, when the Pharaoh's forces were almost defeated and the end of the world seemed imminent, the Pharaoh gave his," He paused and shook his head slightly as if he still couldn't believe it, "her life and sealed the Thief King, his demons and the Shadows away, ripping her soul in two in the process and trapping herself along with them."

"Oneesan did that?" Yugi asked, not entirely sure she believed him and awed if it was the truth.

Shadi didn't show the bemusement he was feeling at the girl's denseness. Did she honestly not understand? Perhaps she needed time to think it over properly. "When the Puzzle shattered the seal was completed and the Pharaoh's name and memories were taken from her. Her name became the key to the lock, and the Tomb Keepers were never allowed to know it."

"Then it's gone?" Yugi asked, worried and upset about that. "I mean... if she has no name..."

"Yuge?" Jou asked, not understanding, but concerned by how upset Yugi looked.

"No name, no afterlife." Sugoroku murmured. "Oneesan'll be trapped on this plane, forever."

"There has to be a way to get it back!" Yugi shot to her feet, hands balled into fists, shocking her friends, "There just has to be!"

"There is." Shadi allowed. "Just as the Thief King slipped his bonds, there is a way to find the Pharaoh's name without unleashing the Shadows on the world once again."

"How?" Yugi begged, though Shadi wasn't sure she meant to.

"In time you'll find out." Shadi told her, pleased that she was so easy to manipulate into following her destined path, "But for now you must focus on working with the one you call Oneesan. Right now neither of you are strong enough to survive if the Thief King manages to call his forces from the Shadows."

"But...?"

"That's all I can tell you for now." Shadi interrupted the Pharaoh's next question, "When the time is right, I'll be back." With that he disappeared without a trace.

"I hate when he does that." Sugoroku complained, rubbing the bridge of his nose and feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.

Yugi stared at the empty space where Shadi had been moments before for another few seconds then slumped back into the sofa, trying to process what she had just been told. Silence fell as none of them knew what to say.

Then Jou turned to Sugoroku, looking at the man with a whole new level of respect, "Wait, so you actually used to do the Lara Croft thing when you were younger?"

"Yes?" The elderly Game Master nodded, confused as to why, out of everything that was what Jou had picked up on.

"Awesome."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this only briefly references cannon, but I felt that Shadi should actually do his job in this fic. You know, 'Guardian of the Millennium Items?' or 'Tomb Keeper?' Supposedly their job is to assist the Pharaoh, not kick her while she's down. So yes. Chapter where he tells them stuff, helps Yugi and Oneesan have a conversation and acts all cryptic. Here you go.


	13. Digital Distraction

Shadi had left Yugi with a lot to think about.

She had known that Oneesan was Ancient. That much hadn't surprised her. That Oneesan had been a Pharaoh however...

It wasn't that Oneesan was a woman that had thrown her. Ojiisan had told her about women who had been Pharaohs before. Sobeknofru for example had succeeded her brother to the throne of Egypt and ruled Egypt and Nitocris had ruled as there had been no male heirs. There weren't many facts known about her reign but it was said she had drowned hundreds in revenge for the murder of her brother, the King. She knew Oneesan wasn't either of those though because there was information left behind about both of them that showed them to be women while Shadi had seemed convinced to start with that Oneesan should be male.

The role of Pharaoh was a very male one, it was a that of a God, the living reincarnation of Horus. The word King was a male one. Queen, as a word, had never really existed in Ancient Egypt, the translation was much closer to 'King's Great Wife.' It was understandable that Shadi might think Oneesan was a man considering that her name had been lost to the millennia and, as Pharaoh, she would have been depicted artistically as a man even if she wasn't pretending to be one because of this issue. The people had to believe that she was the living Horus and as such all art would have depicted her as a guy. Other female Pharaohs had been shown the same way.

Yugi let out a soft sigh and rolled over as her thoughts turned to Oneesan's name. Her grandpa had been an Egyptologist when he was younger and he had tried to instil the same enthusiasm about history in her. It hadn't really worked until she'd completed the Puzzle and had the mystery of Oneesan to solve. She had looked up all sorts in her quest to find something that might help her guardian recover some of her memories or her name. She had even read up on the Egyptian Afterlife, wondering if there was anything there that might help.

Instead the phrase 'Traveller, remember your name' haunted her.

The Book of the Dead, or as it had been called back in Egypt the 'Book of Coming Forth By Day,' had had around 190 spells or chapters within it. It covered everything that the person would need to get to the world after this one. Without those spells it was believed that a person's soul would wander the Earth, or worse Duat for all of eternity. Unfortunately, if Yugi remembered what she had learnt from various sources correctly they all required someone to know their name and Oneesan had surrendered hers to stop the Thief King from destroying the world. Hope wasn't completely lost though. Shadi had told her there was a way to get Oneesan's name back. Yugi just wished he had shared the secret to doing so with her.

A beeping sound startled Yugi out of her thoughts, causing her to reach down the side of her bed and pick up the object emitting the sound. Her virtual pet was going off again. She had thought that the tiny little thing would have died during her three day nap, but surprisingly Jou had been looking after it for her along with the virtual pet that he had picked up for himself.

It was an ugly little thing, but she wasn't going to complain. Jou hadn't had to keep her pet alive while she slept off Shadi's attempt at helping, plus it had one more evolution to go through before it was in its set form for the rest of its eighteen days anyway. Even if it got uglier though, she would love it anyway because it was hers.

She fed the little critter and allowed herself to get distracted playing the mini games. She didn't want to think about all the ways she couldn't help Oneesan anymore. She couldn't help Oneesan get her name back until she could actually interact with her darker self without being doped up on painkillers or at risk of having her soul shredded. Of course the first trick she had to master, long before she could worry about that, was managing to stay awake while Oneesan was in control. Until she could do that, there was no way she was ever going to be able to work with the ancient Pharaoh within her Puzzle.

She had been going over these thoughts in her head for the last few days, ever since Shadi had shared everything he was willing to and so far, no plan had come to mind. There was nothing she could do until her Grandfather finished talking to some of his colleagues in the world of Archaeology and passed her whichever information came in that might be relevant.

Until then she was better off focusing on her studies and trying to work out how to stay awake while Oneesan was in control. Somehow she didn't think energy drinks were the correct answer.

"Mutou Yugi." Sugoroku scolded from the door frame, having spotted that her light was still on, "You're supposed to be asleep."

"I'm not tired." Yugi shook her head, rolling over to face him as she won yet another round against the ugly little blob, "Sorry if I woke you."

"Are you alright?" Sugoroku asked, concerned as he stepped inside the bedroom, "You haven't slept properly since you talked to Shadi."

"I'm okay." Yugi smiled at him, sitting up as she did so. "I just haven't been tired." She moved to get up, only to stop at the look her Grandfather was giving her, "Ojiisan..."

"I suppose sleeping for three days straight would be enough for anyone." Sugoroku allowed, shaking his head, "If you're not asleep before midnight, Yugi-chan, I won't be making breakfast for you."

"I'll try and sleep, Ojiisan," Yugi promised, "Just one more round and I'll..." She trailed off as her digital pet started beeping insistently. "Umm..."

"Ten more minutes, Yugi-chan." Sugoroku chuckled at his Grandaughter's confusion, once again seriously considering getting her a real pet considering how much she doted on her virtual one.

"Sure Grandpa." Yugi replied distractedly, watching as her pet changed shape. She had missed its evolution into its 'teenage' form but she had been awake for most of the time since. She couldn't help but wonder what it would become.

It took but a few seconds for the little form on screen to change from a question mark with legs into its final adult form, a cute little wide-eyed blob with hands, feet and black spikes that looked like her hair when it was playing at being a starfish. The black and white digital display allowed for white bangs and white tips against a black star.

"You," Yugi informed the pet, internally squeeing over the adorable little creature, "Are cute."

The little pet did not respond, she hadn't really expected it to, and she paused as she completed the last feeding and cleaning of the night before she put it into sleep mode. She thought she had heard something about digital pets that incorporated black stars into their design. They were supposedly secret pets that required a lot of looking after and lived long beyond the twenty-one days that most digital pets survived. Not that she knew what the secret pets looked like. It was possible U2, which was what she had named this pet, was one of those special pets. She couldn't know without looking it up.

It wasn't that important. It didn't matter if U2 had turned into a special pet, she was happy with her little starfish head. She just couldn't help but be amused that its hair looked like hers.

She could not help but wonder what Oneesan's opinion of the strange little creature would be and whether the Spirit of the Puzzle actually understood what the thing that was often carried around in her pocket and took up so much of her time was. As far as she was aware, Oneesan had no problems with technology, but she had not played any video games or tried to do anything bar poking the microwave until it worked, so she was not certain she trusted Oneesan with anything more complicated until someone had either seen her using them, or explained their use.

"Sorry." She murmured, wondering if Oneesan could hear her as she took the Puzzle off for the night and feeling a little guilty for leaving her Other Self all alone as she settled down to sleep.

The following morning was hectic as Yugi got distracted playing with her virtual pet, had to rush through her chores and she and Jou ran to school. Once there she settled into her school work, trying to ignore then urge to play with the creature until lunch time when Jou pulled his own virtual pet, which he had picked up a few days earlier from the electronics place around the corner from the shop and started bragging about how awesome it looked.

"Awesome?" Honda snorted, having little patience for the digital critters his friends were fawning over since he had a real dog to play with and tend to, "That is the ugliest little thing I have ever seen."

Jou flipped him off in response, causing Anzu to start scolding him. Yugi just ignored it in favour of trying to keep up with the block stacker game in her digital pet's list of minigames that she swore was faster today than it had been before, though it was possible that it was just the lack of sleep making it seem harder than it was.

"Hey Yuge." Jou grinned, waving his pet under her nose and causing her to jump and lose the game, "You did know they can interact with each other, right?"

"Yeah, it's called breeding." Yugi nodded, "We connect our pets and each of them gain traits from the other." She explained to Anzu, whose digital pet, Peachy, was beeping away merrily, obviously demanding attention and who had been giving them a strange look from the moment Yugi had said 'breeding.'

Not as odd as the look she gave Jou, however, when he demanded that he and Yugi breed there and then. Missing it completely, Yugi willingly handed over U2, who walked onto the screen of Jou's imaginatively named pet, Jou, only to get kicked.

"As big a bully as you used to be." Anzu glowered at him semi-jokingly as she dealt with her pet's demands.

"Jou never hit me." Yugi defended her friend as her pet patted Jou's on the head and then walked back onto its own screen.

"Besides, now Yuge's pet might toughen up." Jou chuckled, "Then she can take lessons from it."

"Hey!" Playfully indignant, Yugi protested Jou's joking insult. She knew he did not mean it and it did not bother her the way it had before they had made friends. Before Jou could say anything else, his pet started bleeping yet again. Jou let out an expletive, and turned his attention on the demanding little monster who seemed to need more attention than Peachy and U2 combined.

Ignoring Jou's cursing since she had been trying to correct his language since long before they had all been friends, Anzu turned to Yugi, glancing between her and her pet as she spoke. "I'm just glad you're better." Anzu said with a brief smile at Yugi as she tried to keep up with her pet's demands, "You had us all worried."

"Sorry." Yugi apologised, sheepishly, still embarrassed that she was so badly affected by the Shadows. Oneesan had explained it to her but that did not mean she didn't feel ashamed of her three day snooze.

"Not your fault, Yuge." Jou shrugged it off, glancing around to check the room was empty before continuing, "Shadi's the one that did you in. I'm just glad some good's come out of it."

"Yeah, I don't think I've seen you this active ever." Honda nodded, referring to how active Yugi had been since awakening, keeping up with her chores and even actually doing half decently in the athletics during PE in the morning. Yugi had not had the heart to tell her friends that most of her speed and agility was less down to natural skill and more down to almost constantly running from bullies before she had completed the Puzzle. "He might have been an arse but Shadi seems to have kept his word."

Yugi nodded, relieved about that herself but not wanting to get drawn into a conversation about what Shadi had said again, slipping off of the desk she was sat on as she did so, "Excuse me." She commented, "I forgot to bring any lunch, so I'll be back in a sec."

"Sure." Jou waved it off, "Be sure to get something I can raid, chips or something. I'm starving."

"Jou!" Anzu scolded as Yugi laughed, her mood uplifted by the typical Joulike behaviour, and left the room.

Yugi sighed as she followed the corridor down towards the canteen. Jou was hopeless. He had been awake longer than her this morning and had thought to make himself lunch, however he had been distracted by his pet and had been rushing to get ready for school just as she had. Still it was not like she could say anything. She had rushed her chores, still enjoying the feel of a body that was not sore and bruised as it had been for various reasons over the last couple of months, and gotten distracted playing games with her digital pet too.

She was on her way back to the classroom with her food when she was stopped in the halls by a classmate, Kujirada, who slammed his hand against the locker in front of her, startling her into nearly dropping the meal.

"Kujirada-kun?" Yugi asked, confused and pleased by her lack of stammer at the same time.

"Mutou-kun," The other replied, moving to block off her route back to the classroom. "I couldn't help but notice you playing with your digital pet during class. Can I have a look?"

Something screamed at her that it was a bad idea. She did not know if it was Oneesan trying to get her attention, having been woken up by her jumping, or whether it was common sense kicking in but decided she shook her head and backed up slightly. "Sorry but no."

"Please Mutou-kun?" Kujirada pleaded, his other hand slamming against the locker the other side, pinning her between them. "I just want a look."

She did not believe him, not while he was trying the tactics so many other bullies had tried over the years and she darted under his arm, dropping a couple of her chips as she did so. "No, Kujirada." Yugi shook her head again as she backed up the corridor, retreating to their classroom, "I don't want to... eep!" Yugi yelped as she stepped on a discarded pen and tripped, landing on her butt and scattering her lunch everywhere. "Hey!"

Kujirada took advantage of the situation to snatch the digital pet out of her jacket pocket, pausing for a moment to look at it, before going to connect it to his pet. He didn't quite complete the motion as Jou, who had shot past Yugi, snatched the toy off of the boy and chucked it back to its owner.

"Hey, Kujirada, you shouldn't take things that aren't yours." Jou snapped at the boy who suddenly turned all apologetic and backed off, escaping down the corridor as fast as he could get away with. Jou watched him go and then turned to Yugi, "You okay Yuge?" He asked, offering her a hand up.

"Sorry Jou." She apologised as she took it, letting him pull her up, "I lost our lunch."

"Eh it's okay." Jou shrugged it off, "I'll grab the next lot." He glowered after Kujirada, "I thought the bullies had backed right off now you've got us and Oneesan."

"They have, or did." Yugi was as confused as Jou was angry as the pair headed back towards the canteen, "Kujirada was just overly interested in my pet for some reason."

"Seriously?" Jou asked, staring at her, "He caused you to spill lunch everywhere because he wanted to breed your pets?"

"Actually I tripped." Yugi looked sheepish as Jou paused, sighed, shook his head and turned back to where they were walking. When they finally got back to the classroom it was close to the end of lunch and it was obvious something had happened because Honda was nowhere in sight and Anzu looked upset.

"What's happened?" Jou asked, looking around, his tone worried.

"Kujirada came in not long after you went looking for Yugi." Anzu informed them, "His pet ate Peachy."

"What?" Jou stared at her, uncertain if he had heard it correctly.

"His. Pet. Ate. Mine." Anzu stated, irritated and upset. "He's supposedly got some rare pet that lives longer than a normal one and eats other pets. My game won't restart now either."

"That's what he wanted U2 for." Jou realised, "He wanted to feed her to his pet."

"Honda went looking for him." Anzu growled, anger rising. "And I'm going to look too. He broke my game!"

"I wonder how many other people's games he's broke." Jou commented before pausing, paling and darting over to his desk, pulling his game out of the drawer within it, only to find his screen was blank too. "That's it. Excuse me..." Jou trailed off as the bell for the end of the lunch period went, averting his attempt to leave to go find the kid responsible.

Kujirada was the last to trail in, looking rather pleased with himself. Jou glowered at him but Kujirada ignored it in favour of turning his attention back to his studies. At least that was what it looked like. When Yugi got bored, as she often did in the classroom, she noticed that he was almost constantly playing with his pet rather than putting it on pause or in 'sleep mode' as almost everyone else did during class.

Keeping U2 close, not wanting her pet to get eaten, she tried to keep her mind on her studies for the rest of the day but it was not easy when she could see Kujirada glancing over every so often. She wondered why he had decided that her pet was the next one he wanted to feed to his pet, it was not like U2 was any different from the other pets that were held by their classmates. The only thing she could think of was that he had marked her as an easy target, just like any other bully that had come her way.

She would not be the victim, not this time, she decided. She was tired of being pushed around. Oneesan and Jou protected her at every opportunity they got and she could rely on them, that was great, but she had asked for friends who could rely on her too and if she was ever going to be someone who they could rely on, she had to start actually being able to stand up for herself. Here was a good place to start.

When class ended Kujirada was one of the first out the door, having had the advantage of being close to exit, Jou and Honda shot after him. Anzu however, stayed behind to help Yugi with her cleaning duties. Between the two of them they got the designated cleaning done quite quickly and they were just about ready to leave when a rather out of breath Kujirada appeared at the door again.

"Lost 'em." He said, more to himself than to the two girls, then realised who was in the room and smirked. "Ah Mutou-Kun, Masaki-kun."

"Kujirada-kun." Anzu replied before Yugi could, "What did you do to my game?"

"Your game will reset itself tomorrow morning." Kujirada shrugged, "But my pet was hungry and as a special, rare, almost unobtainable pet, he must come above your puny little common thing."

"That's not your choice to make." Anzu snapped back, glad that her game wasn't completely broken but still peeved at the boy who had undone all of her hard work. "That was my pet!"

"Well now she's in Super Devil's stomach." Kujirada replied, "And it's hungry again." He turned to Yugi.

"No way." Yugi shook her head, holding the digital pet game he wanted close. "I won't let you take it."

"Since when did you have a backbone, Mutou?" Kujirada asked, looking irritable as he moved around the classroom towards them. Yugi did not respond, internally wincing at the jab as she and Anzu moved towards the door. As much as the shot hurt, Kujirada's comment did validate, at least in her own mind, her earlier thoughts about standing up for herself more often. She just was not sure how to do that without getting into a fight because she refused to get into a brawl with anyone.

Then it occurred to her that maybe Oneesan had the right idea. Instead of getting into a punch-up with someone, maybe she could wager her compliance on a game. She did not have Shadow magic, nor could she or would she use it, but she could lay a simple bet on the table. Her grandfather was a Game Master and she had yet to lose to him, even after he had stopped going easy on her. Surely she could beat Kujirada.

At the same time though she did not want to wager her pet. The little creature in question had done nothing wrong and Jou had specifically kept it alive for her while she had been recovering after Shadi's spell. It would be unfair to both Jou and the pet in question to risk it in a wager. Even one Yugi was sure she could win.

Even if she had been willing to Challenge Kujirada, he did not give her the chance to even offer a game in order to win the digital pet. Instead attempting once again to snatch the virtual pet off of her. She swayed out of the way and darted between the desks to his right, not expecting him to scramble across them and attempt to cut her off that way.

Yugi yelped and darted backwards, narrowly avoiding crashing into the tables. "Kujirada, cut it out." She tried to growl back, only to mentally wince when Kujirada just laughed at her.

"You, Mutou-kun, are not very scary." He chuckled at her as he caused her to back into one of the tables. "Now, I'm taking your pet whether you like it or not."

"Anzu!" Yugi called, tossing the critter over Kujirada's head and then grabbing the boy's arm when he turned to head towards her friend. "Go."

Anzu stared at her for a moment, as if wondering if she really was Yugi or whether Oneesan was in control and then darted off, probably to get Jou or, more likely, a teacher. Yugi kind of hoped it was not the latter since they were not supposed to have the pets in school. Kujirada yanked his arm out of Yugi's grip and tried to follow Anzu, only to find that Yugi was not going to let him leave so easily.

"Piss. Off!" He snapped, shoving her backwards hard enough to cause her to crash into the desk behind her, knocking it over and hitting the floor with it, smacking her head on the way down. He paused, confused as pained amethyst turned angry ruby and she got up, glowering at him and then legged it, escaping out the door before she had finished picking himself up.

"Coward." Oneesan hissed, skimming Yugi's memories of the day as she did so and becoming both even crosser at Kujirada as she did so. She stalked out into the corridor.

By the time she found him it was too late. He had managed to get his hand on the virtual pet game and had plugged it into his. Before Oneesan could Challenge the brat though, the outcome of his actions worked in her favour anyway. U2, who had assimilated some of the data from Jou's pet, had shifted form slightly, eyes narrowing and 'hair' getting pointier, before destroying Kujirada's pet with one punch.

"Noooo!" Kujirada complained, disconnecting the two, tossing Yugi's across the room and pressing every button on the tiny machine, "No, no no no. Do you have any idea how long I worked to get that pet? I was going to use it in the big competition next week!" He complained at her.

"Then you should have been more careful." Oneesan decided to let him walk, still wanting his head for hurting Yugi, but aware that there was a crowd of people who weren't Yugi's friends gathered around to watch the spectacle that was Kujirada making an arse of himself and not wanting to get her Imoto-chan into troube. "And not stolen pets from other people to feed yours."

"But he was special! A black star creature!" Kujirada complained, "I've not slept in weeks! I've lost ground with my studies! I've..." He paused, realisation dawning as he did so, "And I'm free! Free! No more sleepless nights! No more having to hunt down pets to feed him!" Oneesan watched, shocked, as Kujirada practically danced out of the room, chanting 'Free, free, free' as he went.

"Hey Yuge." Jou, who had come in on the tail end of the situation, "Was that Kujirada?"

Oneesan nodded.

"And you let him go?" Jou looked surprised as Anzu collected Yugi's virtual pet game from where it had been flung.

"I'm not entirely certain I could make him any more deranged than he already was." Oneesan commented quietly enough that only Jou heard her, still blinking after him as she spoke. She grimaced at Anzu when the girl thrust Yugi's game under her nose.

"Your game." Anzu commented, letting Oneesan see the damage that had been done to the little thing when it had hit the wall rather hard. The screen was cracked, one of the buttons had fallen off and part of the casing was coming away.

"Damn. Can I change my mind?" She asked, examining it carefully, poking the buttons and hearing the blip, but not seeing anything on screen.

"Sorry Yugi." Anzu apologised, looking upset with herself, "I should have been more careful."

"Not your fault, but if I get my hands on Kujirada, he will be paying for a new one." Oneesan shot back, before sighing, "Imoto-chan dotes on this thing..." She hesitated for a moment and then switched with Yugi who saw what she was holding and had to fight not to burst into tears.

"Alright people, nothing to see here." Jou herded the other students away, allowing Yugi some privacy.

"Yugi... I'm sorry." Anzu murmured, hugging her friend tightly, "You trusted me with it and..." She trailed off as she realised Yugi was shaking. "I'll buy you another one."

"No, no," Yugi pulled away, wiping her eyes, "Not your fault. I...It's okay. I should go home." She started heading for the exit, only for Anzu to catch up.

"Yugi... Are you alright?" Anzu asked softly as she followed Yugi down to the shoe lockers, "Oneesan doesn't normally come out unless you're hurt."

"I..." Yugi just scuffed the floor with her foot, "I'm fine. Bashed myself when Kujirada pushed me over. Oneesan must've woken up then." She felt useless. She had not been able stop Kujirada or distract him long enough for Anzu to get away.

"Yugi. You did your best." Anzu offered, realising what was running through her friend's mind. "You weren't the one who Kujirada took it from, I was. I'm the one who failed." Yugi did not reply, feeling a little better but still upset over the loss of her pet.

The pair of them walked home, stopping for ice cream on the way and splitting up when Anzu got a phone call from her parents asking her to come home straight away. Jou had already started on Yugi's chores when she got back, waving to the girl as she passed. Yugi gave a half-hearted wave back and slipped upstairs, making a mental note to go down and help out once she had gotten changed.

She entered her bedroom, dumped her virtual pet by the bedroom door and almost flumped down on her bed, only to find a small ball of fluff curled up on her bed, staring at her with big blue eyes. "Mew."

"Hello." Yugi dangled her fingers in front of the extra fluffy kitten, who was staring up at her like it was not sure whether to stay where it was or hide underneath something. It settled for batting at the fingers being waved in its direction. "Where did you come from?"

The kitten, who had mostly grey tabby markings, but it looked like it was wearing white socks and had a white splodge over one eye, did not respond bar continuing to bat at her fingers. Yugi's bad mood dissipated slightly as she sat next to the kitten, noticing the collar around its neck and spotting the tag as the kitten rolled over to stare at her better.

"That's Ginka." Yugi jumped and looked over at the door as her Grandfather spoke, "A friend of mine needs us to look after her for a week. I'm trusting you with her care."

"She's gorgeous." Yugi grinned, mentally bouncing at the idea of a kitten running around the house, even if it was only for a short period of time. She had wanted a cat for years and the shop could use one to keep the mice out of the store room.

"She's a bit of a handful." Sugoroku warned with a chuckle, "And she's not allowed outside for a few weeks yet, so be careful, okay?" When Yugi nodded and started turning back to the kitten, her attention obviously on the little bundle of fluff. "What happened here?" The elderly gamer asked, noticing her pet game.

"There was a guy at school." Yugi replied, petting the kitten who started purring. "He took it off of me and smashed it."

"What's his name?" Sugoroku asked, "He should pay for a replacement."

"Kujirada." Yugi replied, looking over at him with concern obvious on her features, "But..."

"You want me to leave it?" Sugoroku asked, grimacing slightly.

"He's not very well off." Yugi replied, "At least not from what I've heard. And..."

"Did Oneesan do something?" He tried to ignore the kitten as he spoke but Ginka was not easy to ignore, not when she yawned adorably and snuggled up against Yugi's side.

"No. She didn't have to." Yugi shook her head, continuing to pet the kitten, "I mean she woke up but she didn't get a chance to do anything. Anzu said Kujirada kind of defeated himself." She looked from Ginka to her grandfather and paused, "You find that amusing..."

"Of course, Yugi-chan." Her grandfather ruffled her hair, "The bad guy defeating himself? That's always funny." He smiled at her and she grinned back. "Now, spend some time with Ginka, its Jou turn to do all the work anyway."

"But..." Yugi trailed off when her grandfather shushed her.

"Think of it as a day's holiday." He informed her, "Enjoy."

 


	14. Catch 'Em All

"Ginka, no!" Yugi yelped, scrambling towards the shelving unit where the kitten she was looking after was investigating some rotund plastic capsules that were carefully lined up in number order. She was too late to prevent the feline menace from batting several of her highest level Capsule Monsters off of the shelf and onto the floor. She managed to rescue most of them, but Ginka chased the last two under the bed and proceeded to hiss at the girl every time she reached to take them back.

"Having fun there, Yuge?" Jou chuckled as Yugi attempted to tease the kitten out from under the bed using a laser pointer she had appropriated from her grandfather's old supplies from when he had been a guest speaker at colleges and universities, alongside his American friend Professor Hawkins.

"Yeap." Yugi admitted as she wiggled the little red dot in front of the kitten and the bundle of fluff pounced, missed its footing, rolled and landed at Yugi's feet. Both teens laughed as the little cat proceeded to get to her feet, pretended it never happened for a moment by sitting still and dignified, and then proceeded to chase the dot around the bedroom.

"I see your capsule monster collection had a cat attack." Jou grimaced, noting the mess on the shelf that he had watched Yugi carefully organise just the night before.

"Yeah, I'm trying to distract her enough that I can rescue the ones she knocked under the bed." Yugi explained with a small frown of concentration as she got the feline to chase the dot around in circles.

"I'll get them." Jou chuckled, dodging the furry fury and reaching under the bed, recovering the pair of capsules, opening them up to find a tiny dragon and a magician. "These are rare, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Yugi nodded, "Level six monsters are hard to come by in Capsule Monsters." Putting the laser pointer away and causing Ginka to proceed to search the room for the dot that was now conspicuous by its absence, Yugi gently took the pair of monsters from him. "Took me ages to find these two, but they're worth it. Even if they don't see much use." She carefully put everything back, smiling as she added the seven to her 'small' collection of about fifty capsules.

"Well I'm willing to play if you're willing to teach me." Jou offered, causing Yugi to grin brightly at him, still unused to anyone willingly submitting to her beating them at games no matter how hard she tried to go easy on them.

"Later." Yugi promised, "There's some shopping I need to get first. I forgot to get it on the way home from school and..."

"Yeah, I saw the state of the fridge." Her friend grinned back, before concern washed over his features, "You sure you're gonna be able to carry all of it?"

"Yeah, I always used to get the shopping on my own and ever since you know what, I'm back to my old self. I'll be fine." Yugi reassured him.

"If you're sure?" Jou asked.

"It's just a trip to the shops." She reassured him, "Not an epic trek across America."

"Point." He sighed, "Pick me up some pop rocks while you're there?"

"Only if you promise not to prank me with them again." Yugi shook her finger at him, though he could tell she wasn't really cross, "It took me ages to get the cola out of my clothes and hair."

"I was aiming for Honda." Jou protested, putting his hands up in a 'don't shoot' gesture, "You just had bad timing." He looked sheepish, "Besides, Oneesan made it very clear what she'd do if I soaked you a third time."

"Oneesan wouldn't hurt you." Yugi promised, having taken Oneesan's oath when they had been in the corridor between her room and the Pharaoh's, to heart.

"She didn't threaten to _hurt_ me." Jou grumbled, leaving the other option unsaid.

"Anzu would probably help." Yugi admitted. "I'll see you later?" She asked as she pulled her trainers on, a nice sensibly priced pair unlike the Air Muscles, which Joey never seemed to take off if he could help it.

"Go have fun with your shopping." Jou waved her off.

"Only about as much fun as you're gunna have sweeping." Yugi teased, reminding Jou that he had to sweep the shop again as part of his punishment from Sugoroku for getting cola all over his kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah." Jou grimaced half jokingly. "Shoo. I'm hungry."

"I take it this means you're crashing here again tonight?" Yugi asked hopefully.

"Dad's home tonight so..." Jou didn't need or want to explain any further.

"Alright, see you later." Yugi just nodded and grabbed her school bag before darting out the door, hungry herself and wanting to get the shopping done as quickly as possible. The shops weren't that far away but Yugi took a detour to the only local shop that still had a capsule monsters dispenser.

The game, called CapMon by its fans, was declining in popularity as Duel Monsters, the proper name for 'Magic and Wizards,' steadily grew. It was the way of it, some games lasting the ages while others faded by the wayside. The only problem with that was that it was slowly becoming more and more difficult to get the game pieces and she actually quite liked CapMon. Not that she had had anyone but her grandfather to play against until she had made friends with Jou. Anzu had never really wanted to play her games unless they were of the console type and those were too expensive on Yugi's pocket money for her to get new ones. Most of her collection were second hand or had been presents.

There was quite a queue for the CapMon machine when she reached it. A bunch of kids who looked younger than she did had formed a line to put their yen in and get their toys, though she noted with some amusement that it was literally dispensing a high level capsule every other time and wondered whether the younger children had noticed too.

Making sure she was an even number in the line so that, if the machine continued its current pattern, she would hopefully get a higher level and hence rarer monster, as she had many copies of the lower level beasts, she watched the kids either praise or curse their finds. Personally Yugi didn't mind what monster she got, but if she could use the seemingly fixed machine to her advantage, she wasn't going to complain when she had no opponent.

Just as she stepped up as put her money in the machine, she caught some of the kids complaining about her being 'too old' to play CapMon. Yugi grimaced slightly as she took her level five monster from the hatch. She wasn't that much older than them, not by enough at least that she felt like she deserved their ridicule.

She was just turning away, opening her capsule to find out what was in it, when someone called her name.

"Mutou Yugi." She turned to find a boy with long black hair and piercing slate grey eyes was watching her carefully, with a look that told her that he _already knew_ who she was, "You are Yugi, right?"

Yugi nodded, wary. Her hand slipped to her Millennium Puzzle as she tried to work out why some kid she had never met before would know her name. "And you are?" She asked, too focused on the boy to notice that some of his 'friends' were fanning out behind her, fencing her in.

"The name's Mokuba." He replied, "You don't know me but you know my Oniisan, Kaiba Seto."

Yugi froze as horror and fear coursed through her. She could guess now, what this was about. Oneesan had Challenged and defeated Kaiba Seto in a Shadow Game a little over a fortnight ago. Kaiba hadn't been back to school since, so it wasn't hard to assume that she had issued a Penalty Game since he had already proved himself to be a liar and a thief. "You're Kaiba-kun's little brother?"

Mokuba smirked, nodding as he did so, looking her up and down considering her carefully, "You don't look like the Games Master my brother paints you out to be." He said, leaving Yugi feeling vaguely insulted even as she panicked a little as she realised that she was surrounded, memories of Hirutani's gang flickering to the fore. "Still, considering _you're_ the only person that's ever beaten him, you must _have_ something special."

His eyes flickered to the Puzzle as he said 'have' and Yugi's fight or flight reflexes yelled at her to run as she realised that he knew about Oneesan, how much had yet to be seen, but he was at least aware that she shared her body with another and that her powers came from the Puzzle. Even if he didn't know anything else, that made him a dangerous adversary. "Wha...What do you want?" Yugi asked nervously, worried that she was going to have to go on the run or something because family members of Penalty sufferers wanted revenge on Oneesan and by extension, her.

"You and I are going to play a game." Mokuba replied, "And when I win, I'm going take your Puzzle and give it to my brother."

"Uh, no." Yugi backed up, only to feel something pressed against her back, something with a familiar shape, absolute terror causing her mind to shut down when she realised it was a stun gun just like the ones carried by Hirutani's people. Oneesan seized control of the body and glared at Mokuba.

"Your brother was a thief." Oneesan snarled at him, viciously shoving her own memories of the kidnapping away, "And he deserved what he got."

"Hello Other Yugi." Mokuba replied, ignoring her proclamation, unable to deny that his brother had had cards stolen from people before. "I was hoping to see you."

Onesaan was torn between surprise that he was actually acknowledging her existence, something which didn't happen outside of their group of friends and anger that yet again someone was threatening and frightening Imoto-chan to draw her out. "You do remember what happened to your brother when I Challenged him, right?" She drawled, unafraid of the pintsize pest and, though wary, not overly concerned about his brat army.

"Oh I know what you did." Mokuba retorted, watching as 'Yugi' moved away from the boy behind her and planted herself quite firmly in the centre of the circle, glowering at him. "He's talked of nothing else since."

' _Kaiba had to have recovered then, at least somewhat, if he was able to talk again,'_ Oneesan thought, with an internal frown."And you think it's wise to risk the same?"

"I'm not going to risk anything, because I'm not going to lose." Kaiba's little brother snarked back.

Oneesan glanced around. While she wasn't adverse to Challenging the little sod right here and now, she was aware that she shouldn't display her powers in public and that Jou and Grandpa were waiting for Imoto-chan to come home with the shopping so she wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. "Where do you want to do this?"

"You'll see." Mokuba's mood seemed to switch easily when he realised that she wouldn't fight them. "Just one moment." He poked his head in the door and two minutes later the lot of them were heading away from the shopping district and towards a group of warehouses a few minutes away, carrying the vending machine with them. Oneesan, having flicked over Imoto-chan's memories of the day for hints of anything she could use, made a note of the fact it had been distributing high level capsules every other capsule and found herself disappointingly unsurprised when Mokuba offered to take turns getting their pieces out of the machine, even going so far as to graciously offer 'ladies first.'

"I assume you've rigged it." Oneesan responded, noting his momentarily scowl at her catching him out, "I must say I'm impressed, it takes a lot of work to get one of these to rig which capsules come out with such precise timing. You must have practically rebuilt it from scratch. Still you know what I did to your brother for cheating, did you really think it was wise?"

"Well it's the only capsule machine around, so..." Mokuba gestured to it.

Oneesan quickly did the maths in her head, remembering that the last capsule out was a high number one. Even if she got all five of her capsules out at once, assuming that Mokuba's rigging held, she would be at the disadvantage with three lower levels and two higher. Still she stood more of a chance, assuming that Mokuba's cheating didn't go any further, and she was willing to let him think he had the advantage. She was sure that using Imoto-chan's vast knowledge of the game she would beat him anyway and victory would be sweeter if he had had a better start.

A little irritated that she had to put more of Imoto-chan's money into Mokuba's rigged machine in order to teach the whelp a lesson, she collected her five capsules and sat at the table that Mokuba's goons had set up. The board was already set up and even as she kept an eye on Mokuba as he got his own, watching to make sure he didn't cheat any further than he already had, she was already strategising, skimming through Imoto-chan's memories of the monsters she had gotten and the rules of the game to make her choices.

It wouldn't be easy, she could admit that when Mokuba set up his monsters opposite her without actually saying another word. Mokuba had three high level monsters to her two and while her two were good, they wouldn't stand much chance in the long run. Then Oneesan saw an opening, her one chance at taking the younger of the Kaiba brothers down in one fell swoop. It took some working out, something her mind could do in a couple of heartbeats thankfully, but while Mokuba laid his capsules out in a rather standard position, Oneesan put hers out rather differently, grouping most of her beasts and leaving one level two monster to one side.

"Since I'm betting that you're waiting for just the right moment to announce that this will be a 'Shadow Game,'" Mokuba spoke once the board was set, drawing a flick knife out of his trouser pocket, "I'm setting my Penalty now. I'm a Champion at this game and when you lose, I'm not just taking the Puzzle for my brother, you'll lose a finger too."

Oneesan scowled. Threatening to take the Puzzle was one thing, but threatening to maim her little sister was another entirely. "Fine, but there'll be no escaping a Penalty Game when I defeat you." She warned him, "I'm already within my rights, due to your meddling."

"I won't lose." Mokuba repeated as the Shadows curled around the table, the chairs, the pieces and the Players, visible only to the pair of them, "Now go."

Oneesan made her first move, noting that his response was exactly as she had planned. However the former-Pharaoh was frustrated as she proceeded to put her plan into motion. Unlike some of the people she had Challenged and defeated, she could tell that Mokuba was just doing it to please his brother. She wasn't sorry she had put a Penalty on the older Kaiba, he had stolen from her long before she had put the Penalty on his head. In her defence, Mokuba was going to deserve the Penalty she placed on him too. However just as something unnameable had convinced her that the elder Kaiba that was not completely irredeemable, she was certain the younger was not a complete write off either.

"You don't stand a chance against me." Mokuba sniggered as he continued to fall into her trap, taking the bait by destroying the piece she had put forward to lure him in and moved into its slot. "I know every trick in the book."

Oneesan just let out an amused chuckle. It didn't seem to matter who they were or what they were playing, most of her adversaries seemed to come out with the same tired spiel. Originality seemed to completely desert them the moment that the Shadows closed in and the game started.

"What's so funny?" Mokuba demanded, scowling at her as he tried to work out whether he was missing some tactic that he had just walked into and, thankfully, not seeing her plan.

Oneesan smirked slightly as she realised she could use her momentary distraction from the game to her advantage. "Just thinking that perhaps I should teach you the rules of gaming." She explained nonchalantly, as she moved another low level monster into position, "Rule one, always act like you have the upper hand."

"You think you can teach me!?" Mokuba snapped, destroying another of her pieces, her level four not standing up to his level 5 beast, "I'm the Champion!"

"Keep your cool at all times." Oneesan responded without missing a beat, taking out his level two plant like creature with her own higher level warrior, "That's rule two."

Mokuba just let out a low growl and continued his assault on her game pieces, "It doesn't matter if I lose one piece," He commented as he moved another one to destroy the warrior who had caused the loss, "I can still take yours down."

"If you say so." Oneesan couldn't help the amusement at the anger her tone of condescension earned her as she moved the final piece of her plan into place. It wasn't supposed to be this funny, but he was so stereotypically playing the bad guy, at least from what she could tell from Imoto-chan's memories of movie and anime villains, it just struck her as funny.

"Ha!" Mokuba crowed as he destroyed her penultimate piece, "Now what're you going to do? I have four pieces and you only have one! And it's only a level two! It doesn't stand a chance!" He paused when Oneesan smirked, "What? What's funny? Don't tell me that look's one of your stupid rules too!"

"No, no," Oneesan shook her head, vindictive laughter in her voice as she spoke, "This is a look of victory."

"What?!" Mokuba squeaked.

"Look at the board properly." Oneesan watched realisation dawn as he finally took in what her final piece was and how he had lined up his monsters. "My bird, the one you're so dismissive of, is Torigan. Once per game, it can destroy any number of enemies, regardless of level, as long as they're at a diagonal line from it."

"She...she..." Mokuba stared at the board as he realised that he had fallen, head first, into her trap and he had been so busy dismissing her skills and destroying her other pieces, monsters he know realised she had sacrificed in order to ensure victory, that he had never seen it coming.

"Hold your trump card till the end." Oneesan informed him as she knocked his pieces over with her Torigun, the Shadows showing the boy who was now firmly ensnared in their grip, a Penalty imminent, "Rule three, remember it well."

"I...I lost..." Mokuba paled, panic settling as Oneesan got to her feet, realising what was to come. He lunged for the Puzzle in one final attempt to seize what he wanted.

"Penalty Game!" Fingers splayed, hand facing him, Puzzle glowing causing him to back off, she felt more than justified in giving the boy this small terror as vengeance for his threats against her little sister and his last minute move.

"My brother's revenge is well under way!" Mokuba yelled at her, even as an illusionary CapMon capsule started to close over him, "The secret project, Death-T, is coming!" With that the illusion snapped shut.

Mokuba let out a horrendous, terrified screech, his mind trapped within the false image by her magic. "I can't move! Or see!" The boy wailed, tears flowing, as she turned to leave, a feeling of nausea rising as she tried to ignore Mokuba's pleading, "Oniisan! Please! Help me! It's dark and cold..."

She exited swiftly as the boy's gang members tried to work out what was wrong, getting two blocks away before she leant against the wall and pressed her head against the cool brickwork. The penalty she had set had been too close to home for her to stomach. She wasn't even sure herself what it was meant to teach, she had just wanted to punish him for threatening to maim Imoto-chan when she had set the game in motion and his terror and his tears reminded her too much of _before_.

She didn't remember anything before the darkness, all she had known was that she was lost, imprisoned in the dark, in pain and all alone. As she tried to ignore the way her stomach wanted to jump into her throat, her mind flicked back to when she had first awoken in the Shadows, how she'd screamed and pleaded and sobbed for someone, anyone to let her out, to help her, to save her from the agony.

And no one had come for her. Not until Imoto-chan had solved the Puzzle and freed her from her prison.

Mokuba's Penalty wasn't the same. He wasn't in pain, he wasn't lost in a realm of soul eating monsters, but it still hit too close to home and she had chosen it purely because she had been feeling vindictive.

Unable to keep the bile in her throat down any longer, she wheeled around and retched into the nearest bin, hacking up what Imoto-chan had had for lunch, emptying it into the bin, only becoming aware of someone rubbing her back when she finally stopped, her stomach empty, the person's voice attempting to be soothing, even with hints of concern and anger wavering through his tone.

"J...Jou?" She asked, closing her eyes at the reassuring tone, trying to calm herself down enough to put on at least a facade of being the strong, unflappable older sister they expected her to be.

"Hi Oneesan." Jou murmured, recognising her for which 'Yugi' she was almost instantly, "Is Yuge sick?"

"I..." Oneesan stopped and shook her head, not trusting her voice when she could feel another wave of nausea coming on.

"Then what's brought this on?" Jou asked, worried, "This 'cause of a Shadow Game?"

For a moment Oneesan considered lying, telling Jou something, anything else but that she had brought this on herself. That even with Imoto-chan's light to protect her, she still feared that dark place that had held her for so long. That she was feeling sick because she had thrown someone else into a situation far too similar to how hers had once been.

"What're you doing here?" She asked instead, not wanting to answer his question, having never lied to Jou and not really wanting to start now.

"Ojiisan sent me to give you a hand." Jou told her, leaving out how one of their regular customers had rushed into the store in a tizzy and scared both Yugi's Grandfather and Jou by informing them that she had just seen Yugi being led away by a gang of kids with tasers. Frightened that Hirutani was back already, something that was unlikely but not in the realms of impossible, Jou had promised Sugoroku that he would make sure Yugi was okay and with his blessing, shot out of the door to try to find her. "What happened? Yuge was fine when she left the house."

He wasn't going to let it go, she could tell that and it wasn't fair to leave Imoto-chan in control of a body that felt wretched and whose mouth still tasted of bile just because she wanted to avoid a question.

"Kaiba's Otouto-san." Oneesan started, still not looking at him and trying to pull the thoughts into a coherent train without feeling ill again, "Wanted to challenge me. His gang had tasers. Imoto-chan freaked out and I woke up."

"So you kicked their asses." Jou sounded like he understood. That was the good thing about Jou. While Anzu didn't understand that she was only defending herself the only way she had, and Honda would rather she didn't exist at all, Jou was willing to talk to her and willing to accept her Challenges as necessary to protect her little sister. "So what's with the barf fest?"

"It's nothing." She lied, taking a deep breath and straightening, turning to face him, "I'm fine."

"You're obviously not fine." Jou scowled at her, "If you were fine, you wouldn't have been heaving twenty seconds ago. What happened?" Jou paused, "You didn't lose, did you?"

"No!" Oneesan protested, her pride piqued at the suggestion that she _could_ lose, "No." She shook her head, "I won, but..." She paused, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. It was ridiculous that she, a Pharaoh of old, one who had survived three thousand years in the Shadows, should be reduced to this state because of one Penalty. But she had been and she suddenly realised that she wasn't as in control of herself as she should be if she was going to try to control the Shadows, which magnified the best and worst in a person's mind and soul.

"But?" Jou pressed.

"The CapMon machine he wanted us to use was rigged. He'd rigged it." Oneesan explained, "So I issued a Penalty. Didn't think about it, just cast it..."

"What was it?" Her friend asked warily, as if unsure he wanted to know.

"Nothing extreme." Oneesan promised, "I just trapped him inside the illusion of a CapMon capsule for a while. The moment Kaiba goes near it, it'll break. I didn't want to hurt him, just scare him."

"So what went wrong?" Jou wondered, "I mean it had to have done for you to be..." He gestured to the bin.

"It's nothing." Oneesan dismissed it, or at least tried to. When Jou glowered at her she snapped, "I don't want to talk about it, alright?"

"Oneesan..." Jou grimaced. He was bad at this heart to heart stuff, Anzu was much better at it but he knew she wouldn't want to talk about this, except perhaps to lecture Oneesan about 'not Challenging people in the first place.' It had to be him to try and find out what had distressed Oneesan so much she'd been ill. "Look you obviously don't want to be alone right now or you'd do what you normally do when you want to avoid talking to me and shove Yuge out here. And even I can tell you're upset about something and I'm normally oblivious, so share. Even if I can't do anything it helps to talk. Yuge taught me that."

Oneesan paused for a moment. She wasn't sure what Jou meant by Imoto-chan teaching him that talking things over helped, but her pride wouldn't allow her to admit to her fears. However while it was true that most of her reasoning for not putting Imoto-chan back in control was the fact the body felt wretched, she didn't want to return to her cell right now. She was sure Imoto-chan wouldn't begrudge her a little longer in control if she did the shopping for her in exchange. "What will it take to get you to drop it and leave it alone?" She asked Jou, "So we can get on with the shopping?"

"The truth." Jou snorted in reply, "Unless you don't actually trust me enough to..." Jou trailed off as everything came together in his mind finally. "You trapped him in the dark. Alone. With no way out without outside help?" Oneesan nodded slowly, wondering if she was about to get an earful. However before she could say anything, Jou had drawn her into a hug, only the third one she had ever received in three thousand years but it was his next words that really shocked her. "We won't let you go back there. I promise." They were there for a minute or so before his grip tightened briefly, then he released and grinned at her, "Besides, if you vanish, who's going to keep me and Honda in check?"

"Anzu does a pretty good job." Oneesan sniggered after a moment, glad for the subject change even as she made up her mind that until she could control her impulses better she would stop issuing Challenges using magic unless there was no other way of solving the issue and think through her Penalties much more carefully from now on, "She could probably manage."

"I dunno Yuge," Jou retorted as they stepped back onto the high street, shielding her from prying eyes with him much larger frame even as he slipped back into calling her Yugi, "She wasn't having much luck before."

" _I_ ," Oneesan emphasised, trying to pass on the fact that it was in fact Imoto-chan she was talking about, "Distinctly remember Anzu chasing you out of the classroom after you got caught badgering me."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jou grimaced, remembering many occasions of the same thing. "We'd still want you around."

"Anzu and Honda don't like me." Oneesan reminded him, fully aware of that little fact.

"It's not... you know what no. Honda and Anzu need to go over this with you, I'm not sticking my nose in." Jou shook his head. "Now let's get this shopping and get back. Ojiisan is going to be pitching a fit soon."

"Alright." Oneesan agreed, still convinced that she was right. "The sooner we get done the better."


	15. Tried it Once

"Did I hear you right," Jou asked incredulously, making Yugi wish she hadn't said anything, " _Anzu_ has a date?"

"Uh huh." Yugi replied, nodding as she did so, "Apparently Yoshida-san from class 4b finally talked her into one date, but it's this Sunday so she can't come to the theme park with us."

"Yoshida-san?" Jou tried to remember the guy and grimacing slightly, "You don't mean that stuck up jerk who I swear must be bribing his way into good grades and has been chasing Anzu's skirt for over a year?"

"She made a deal with him." His friend replied as she tried to fight with the toaster, "If she goes on this date with him and she doesn't enjoy it, he has to leave her alone. If she does, she'll go out with him."

"It helps if the toaster is plugged in, Yuge." Jou sniggered, before what she had said sunk in, "So basically she's putting up with him for this one date and then ditching him as fast as possible?"

"In theory." Yugi replied, blushing in embarrassment as she plugged the toaster in and started on their breakfast, "In practise I'm not sure it's going to work but..." She shrugged, "I know games, not people. So I could be wrong."

"We should follow her." Jou grinned at Yugi, an plan unfolding in his mind.

"Jou..." Disapproval crept into the girl's tone.

"No hear me out." Jou pleaded, placating, "Anzu doesn't even like the guy and from what I know of Yoshida, he's not one to take a 'no' lightly. She might need Oneesan to back her up when she ditches him."

"If Oneesan even comes out." Yugi frowned, concerned. It had been over a week since Oneesan had been challenged by the younger of the Kaiba brothers and nothing Jou had done to wind Yugi up had managed to drag Oneesan out of the Puzzle. His theory was that she needed a break from saving their rears. Yugi's was that it was just that Oneesan had decided that most of the day to day annoyances that had once resulted in repeated blackouts wasn't worth the effort anymore.

"She wouldn't leave a friend in the lurch, much like someone else I know." Grinning when Yugi blushed, something she often did when she got a compliment, Jou continued, "She'll come out."

"If she catches us, it was all your idea." Yugi warned him, still not certain this was a good idea but then she hadn't been certain about the date itself being one either.

"Of course." Jou postured, "All the best ideas are mine."

"Oh really? What about the time you mmph..." Yugi glowered at him over the hand covering her mouth.

"You agreed not to speak about that." Jou grumbled, embarrassment sinking in, making him wonder if Yugi had nearly brought it up as revenge for embarrassing her. If it was Oneesan maybe, Yugi was too nice to think about vengeance.

"No," Yugi pulled away from his hand, good natured mischief obvious on her features, causing him to wonder if she'd been hanging out with him too long, "I promised not to tell the others. Big difference."

"So about this date," Jou quickly changed the subject, "Any idea where it's going to be, or are we following Anzu from her house? 'Cause we can't follow her if she gets in a car."

"I'm not sure." Yugi shrugged, "She mentioned something about having fun even if the date was horrendous, but that could mean anywhere."

"You're no help." The blonde teen complained, watching as the toast popped with such force that it catapulted into the air. Through years of experience, Yugi managed to catch them on a plate and took them over to the side to butter, "You think anywhere that has games is fun."

Yugi just shrugged. She couldn't deny it. She had 'easily distracted: games' on her character sheet. Somehow, it didn't bother her as much as it used to now that she had someone who was willing to play alongside her. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I heard Yoshida talking about taking some girl to a haunted house ride at lunch yesterday." Jou shrugged after thinking for a few minutes while wolfing his breakfast down, "I thought it was at the same theme park we were going to but I didn't realise the 'girl' was Anzu."

Yugi just blinked at him, surprised, "Seriously?" Then she paused, "Anzu's female too, you know." She scolded him.

"You're not the only one with insane luck." Jou ignored her, "That and he was gloating about it in the canteen when I grabbed seconds."

Yugi wolfed down her breakfast before she replied, "So even if we don't follow her, we'll probably run into her anyway." She sighed, "You know Anzu isn't going to be happy if she thinks we're trying to chaperone?"

"But Yuuuuge..." Jou whined.

"I'm curious too." Yugi laughed as she went to fetch her backpack, only to find Ginka, who she had been allowed to keep at the end of the week since the kitten had grown as attached to her, was curled up on her school bag, "No you can't come to school with me."

"Oh good, does that mean I can avoid doing any homework too?" Jou asked, grinning as Yugi shooed the cat off of her bag.

"Not you." Yugi sighed, finally managing to put her bag on and shoot out the door, "You don't get away with not doing school work that easily."

"Damn." Jou jokingly sulked as he followed her.

"Anyway," Yugi chuckled, "What I was trying to say is maybe we shouldn't stalk Anzu. Doesn't mean we can't keep an eye out."

"But I want to see how long it takes her to want to deck Yoshida." Jou complained. "Please Yuge?"

Yugi let out a soft sigh. She should have known that Jou's concern was firmly based in wanting to watch someone else test Anzu's patience for a change. "Alright, alright." Jou whooped as Yugi surrendered finally, "But I'm still blaming you if things go wrong."

"That's fine. Anzu'll probably blame me anyway. She normally does." Jou shrugged, seemingly unphased by the fact. The pair walked in silence for a minute or so before, "Hey Yuge? You heard anything about that bomber that's been in the news?"

Yugi had to think for a minute. She'd stopped paying attention to the news since realising what was going on with her Puzzle. She hadn't wanted to know if anything that Oneesan had done had ended up in the local newspapers. She did remember something in passing though from earlier on in the week, when her grandfather had been watching the news on TV. "The Card Bomber? The one who sends a playing card with the time and date of his attack on as his calling card?"

"That's the one." Jou nodded, "I bet Oneesan could take him."

"I'd rather not test that, thanks." Yugi blanched slightly at the idea, "I mean..."

"I suppose." The blonde shrugged, "But you have to admit she could probably do it."

"Yeah." She admitted, her hand going to the Puzzle, confidence in her other self obvious, "She probably could."

* * *

"There she is!" Jou pointed out as he, Honda and Yugi waited in line to get into the park.

Yugi couldn't see over the crowds but Honda caught sight of Anzu three queues over, looking most distinctly like she was irritated already. Something that didn't bode well for the rest of her date. "Yes she is and unless you want to get caught already, keep it down." Honda scolded as they moved to the front of the queue.

"So that's two high schoolers and a grade schooler." The woman at the ticket office said in a matter of fact tone, looking them over.

"I'm..."

"That's right." Jou loudly spoke over Yugi, drowning her out, "I thought I'd bring my little sister out here as a treat."

"That's sweet." The woman replied, dispensing the three tickets and taking the money from Jou, who pocketed them with a grin. "Have a good day."

"Thanks." Jou replied, still grinning brightly as he herded the group away from the booths, recognising that Yugi was put out and trying to get as far away as possible before she said anything that could get him trouble.

"Grade school!?" Yugi protested the moment they were out of earshot of the booths. "I don't look that young do I?"

"Sorry Yuge." Jou apologised even as Honda nodded. Yugi just sulked as they headed further into the park, her mood not upturned until they found a bunch of carnival games and she managed to win two adorable cuddly toys, which she got Jou to carry at Honda's suggestion. Grinning when Jou spluttered with embarrassment as having to carry the stuffed bears, Yugi finally relaxed.

Trying to ignore the fact she was basically being dragged around to spy on Anzu, she did enjoy the chance to spend some time just having fun, not having to worry about bullies or homework or any of her normal day to day problems. Plus she had the chance to go swimming, something she enjoyed but hadn't had the chance to do outside of school since before she had finished the Puzzle.

It was as she was getting changed back into her normal clothes in the women's locker room that Anzu finally spotted her. The much taller brunette hadn't changed out of her bikini yet when she caught sight of Yugi, who was just repacking her bag.

"Yugi!" Anzu grinned brightly, hugging her friend, "Hi."

"Hey." Yugi blinked at her as Anzu pulled away, confused by the sudden hug, "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just glad of a few minutes peace." Anzu replied, "Yoshida's a right pain. Doesn't help he spotted Jonouchi and Honda in the queue and is now being paranoid. He thinks they're stalking us."

"Uhhh..." Yugi hesitated, nerves obvious in her voice.

"Oh don't tell me..." Anzu groaned, bringing palm to face.

"Jou's idea." Yugi apologised.

"And of course it's easier to go along with Jou than dissuade him of anything." Anzu groaned, pulling her own stuff out of the locker next to Yugi's as she did so, "Does he have nothing better to do?"

"I think he's just worried about you." Yugi tried to reassure her, only for Anzu to scowl at her.

"I don't need a babysitter." She growled, making Yugi wince, "It was bad enough when..." Anzu trailed off, noting the look on Yugi's face, "Never mind."

"I'm sorry." Yugi apologised, watching Anzu dart into the shower and pull the curtain closed behind her.

"Not your fault." Anzu informed her over the sounds of the water as Yugi slipped the Puzzle back on, relaxing slightly when it's comforting weight fell into its traditional place. "As long as Jonouchi isn't jealous or some rubbish, I can put up with it."

"He wanted to see how long it took you to punch Yoshida-san." Yugi informed her, leaving out how he had basically implied that Anzu wouldn't be able to get shot of Yoshida once this was over.

"That sounds like him." Anzu sighed as she stepped out from behind the curtain, wrapped in her towel, "I don't plan on punching Yoshida, so he's wasting his time." Anzu glanced over to Yugi, who was picking up her bag, "And yours."

"I'm having fun anyway." Yugi shrugged in reply, "I've been playing the carnival games we've been passing and Jou's just missed out on all the water slides." She sent a reassuring smile Anzu's way and was pleased to see her friend smile back.

"Go, shoo." Anzu chuckled at her, "Jonouchi won't be happy if he realises I'm on to him." Anzu paused, glanced around, and then asked, "Before you go, has Oneesan been out at all today?"

"No." Yugi shook her head, still concerned about the fact it was now getting on for two weeks without sign of her darker self. "Why?"

"I saw a bunch of police officers running around and some of the park officials were panicking. Knowing Oneesan's track record I thought I'd check."

"Not Oneesan's fault." Yugi promised, "See you later?"

"When I finally lose Yoshida, I'll hunt you out." Anzu nodded, "It won't be hard if you're still putting up with Jonouchi's antics."

"True." Yugi allowed with a grin she didn't quite feel, Anzu's question about Oneesan bringing up the concerns she had been trying to push to the back of her mind in order to enjoy the day. "Bye."

"Bye."

Yugi slipped out of the changing room and rejoined the guys, who had been hovering around the entrance to the pool area.

"She see you?" Jou asked, worried when he noticed Yugi's mind was elsewhere.

"Of course she didn't." Honda didn't give Yugi a chance to answer, "If Anzu had seen Yugi she'd have followed her out."

"Yeah, you're right." Jou allowed, relaxing slightly, "She'd be giving us such an earful if she'd worked out what we're up to."

"We could give up, you know." Honda offered, "I doubt she's going to punch him if she didn't yet."

"You just don't want to have to hand me the hundred yen you're gunna owe me when she hits him." Jou snorted.

"You two are taking bets?" Yugi groaned at the boys. "Seriously?"

"Of course." Yugi just face palmed as Jou and Honda spoke at the same time, "No."

"Come on." Yugi dragged them away from the pool, where the boys attention had been drawn by yet another cute girl wearing almost nothing, trying not to feel upset that she couldn't draw that sort of attention from any member of the opposite sex. Instead they headed for the rollercoasters, having waited half an hour in the queue and seen Anzu boarding the ferris wheel when an announcement went out over the park's tannoy system.

" **The police have received a bomb threat in the park. We can't go into detail for security reasons but...uh... please follow the instructions of the nearest police officer and _quickly_ and _calmly_ proceed to the nearest exit. You may also jump over the little fences."**

The moment the announcement stopped all hell broke loose as everyone started screaming and shouting and rushing for the exit, nearly trampling Yugi in their haste. It was only the fact that Jou and Honda pulled her to one side, next to the ferris wheel, and protected her from the worst of the stampede that prevented her getting seriously hurt.

They were just poking their head out of their hiding place when a group of officers rushed by, stopping at the foot of the ferris wheel and staring up.

"This is bad," The trio heard the man who looked like he was in charge, speak, "There are people on that ferris wheel!"

"Excuse me?" Yugi pushed past her two friends, "But my friend's on that ride, is something wrong?"

"There's a bomb planted on it." The officer replied, causing her to blanch, fear coursing through her as the very real danger Anzu was in struck her. The officer's phone went and he moved away from Yugi, giving Jou and Honda a chance to catch up to her.

"Yuge..." Jou paused, seeing the look on her face and understanding instantly. "What should we do?" He asked, sizing up the ferris wheel as if the problem was something he could wrestle into submission, though she could hear the fear in his tone.

Before Yugi could reply that she didn't know if there was anything they _could_ do, the officer was shouting, for a volunteer. "The bomber challenged us to a card game! Who's a good card player? Is there a _gamer_ here?!"

Jou and Honda took a step away from Yugi as the Puzzle flashed in response to the question and suddenly Oneesan was in control and looking an odd mixture of furious and frightened that neither boy had seen from her before. "I'll do it!"

"You're the girl from before..." The detective looked her over as she held out her hand for the mobile phone. "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I don't lose." Oneesan promised, receiving the phone in reply to her declaration. "Hey," She spoke to the bomber on the other end of the phone, "I'm here, what're we playing?"

The voice on the other end of the phone laughed, a tone of vindictive amusement that just served to anger Oneesan further. Though she had no right to complain about someone playing games with people's lives, she had never risked the lives of someone innocent. Unless she counted Imoto-chan which wasn't something she could help.

"A kid." The voice spoke finally, "Very funny. Alright, the game we're playing is Clock Solitaire."

Oneesan quickly scanned Imoto-chan's memories for information on the game in question, finding the rules and a couple of memories of the game easily. The deck of cards that the officer had given her would be fine, she didn't need anything special for the game at hand.

"Here I go." She murmured as she dealt the deck out into thirteen different piles, one at each number on a clock and one for the centre, turning the first card over from the centre pile, finding that it was a three and placing it underneath the three o'clock pile before taking the top card from there. This continued for a few rapidly played out turns before she completed the four o'clock position by drawing all of the fours.

The number four carriage on the ferris wheel exploded.

"Anzu!" Oneesan paled slightly as she realised that there were bombs on each of the carriages, including the number three one which held her friend and she had already drawn three of them. Just one more and Anzu would...

"Focus Yuge." Jou knelt at her side, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You can do it."

"I wouldn't listen to him if I were you." The bomber sniggered, having heard Jou talking via the phone, "You can't win this without people getting hurt. You can try though."

Oneesan pulled her attention back to the game at hand, her confidence shaken as she drew again, trying to work out where the bomber was stood that would allow him to see what cards she had drawn out of the scattered deck as she did so. She completed the eight position and winced when the number eight carriage exploded.

"It's only a matter of time before an occupied carriage explodes." One of the officers whispered, "How can she win?"

"I just need to finish collecting the kings." Oneesan replied, though her voice was low, just carrying to the boys who could hear the stress in her tone, all three of them flinching as the number two car exploded.

"Twenty seconds." One of the officers informed them, just adding to the pressure that Oneesan was already under, "Twenty seconds before ALL the bombs go off."

Oneesan sped up, trying to find the last king card for the centre pile before the bombs went off and Anzu was gone forever. She reached for one last card as the time ticked down past the five second mark, praying that it would be the right one, only for her prayers to be answered as she slammed the last king into place with less than a second to go.

"Officers," She spoke, realisation striking her as she remembered that the ferris wheel had thirteen carriages, while there was only twelve piles of cards in the clock face in the solitaire game, "The bomber's in carriage thirteen. There's no bomb there."

She would have taken more pleasure out of hearing the bomber's attempts at calling her every single rude name under the sun for that, except she was distracted by the sight of Jou and Honda helping Anzu down out of the number three carriage and she dropped the phone before darting over, hesitating to join the three teens who were talking rapidly and wondering if she should trade places with Imoto-chan.

"Oneesan." Anzu darted over, giving the shocked Puzzle spirit a hug, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She mumbled, still trembling slightly as she slowly came down from the terror of the last few minutes.

"It's okay." Oneesan responded, feeling awkward enough as it was and trying to sound reassuring as she rubbed Anzu's back. "It's okay."

"Anzu," The girl in question let go of Oneesan and turned to glower at the other person who had been in carriage three and was glowering at the two boys. "Come on. We've still got to finish our date."

"Finish our date?" Anzu demanded, "You want to me finish our date? When you spent that entire fiasco hiding under the seats and going 'I'm too pretty to die' and 'kill her not me?' I don't think so."

"You're coming with me." Yoshida went to grab Anzu's arm, only for Oneesan to superimpose herself between the pair and glower at him.

"Anzu told you that she would only take part in this experiment until she no longer enjoyed it. Since she no longer enjoys it, you can go away now." Oneesan snarled at him, getting the feeling that Jou and Honda were watching carefully in case they needed to step in. "Especially since you're a cowardly worm who would offer up someone else's life before your own."

"Shut up you little whor..." Yoshida moved to slap her but before Oneesan could call up anything that might get her into trouble with the police and Jou and Honda could make their move, one of the police officers had grabbed the boy's arm.

"That girl just saved your life." The detective in charge of the case informed the boy, still holding the limb firmly, "So I suggest you take her advice and go away before we take you in for harassing her and her friend."

"Whatever." The teen grouched, still glowering at the group of friends, "I don't want to hang around with these losers anyway." The detective let go and Yoshida stalked off, grumbling something under his breath that Oneesan didn't care enough to catch.

"I need your name, address and telephone number, in case we have to get in touch with you." He warned Oneesan, who gave him Yugi's name, number and address, before disappearing back into the park with Yugi's friends.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jou worried at Anzu, checking the girl over.

"Yeah, thanks to Oneesan." Anzu nodded, sending a watery smile in Oneesan's direction. Oneesan just bowed and switched with Yugi, who took a moment to take in her surroundings, then grinned brightly at Anzu.

"I knew she could do it!" Yugi squealed and glomped Anzu, who responded with an amused chuckle and a hug of her own.

"Come on, Yuge." Jou smiled at the girl in question as she pulled away from her friend, relief still clear on her features. "Let's go queue up for the rides." Yugi went to protest that they probably weren't running when she heard the sounds of a cart moving along the tracks of the nearby rollercoaster.

"Coming." She said instead, glancing at Honda and Anzu.

"We'll be along in a minute." Honda promised. That was enough for Yugi, who followed Jou off to get first in line in the queues before the crowds re-entered the park. "Oneesan was really worried for you." He informed Anzu, who had watched the pair go. "If I ever had any doubts whether she actually cares about us..."

"I..." Anzu leant against the nearest railing, "I know," She admitted, adrenaline wearing off, "I used to think that she was only looking after us because Yugi cared about us, but I..." Anzu sighed, "I was looking out the window of the carriage when she shouted for me. I saw how frightened she was and how Jou had to reassure her." Anzu smiled slightly, "And I doubt she could fake the relief I saw when I stepped out of the carriage." She looked Honda straight in the eyes, "I think it's time we started trusting her."

"You're a little behind there." Honda snorted, "Bar that one incident in the restaurant, she's done nothing but try and help and protect us since she woke up. I figured that even if I thought she was doing it for Yugi, not for us, I could trust her because she was still protecting us."

"But you go out of your way to ignore her." Anzu looked confused, "So..."

"I have nothing against her." Honda shrugged, "I just prefer not to know when she's Challenged someone. Have you never heard of plausible deniability?"

Anzu smiled at that. "Okay, that I can understand." She glanced around, noting that the crowds were slowly building up again and brought up something that had been bothering her for a while, ever since Jou had nagged her about the fact Oneesan was convinced she and Honda hated her. "I was thinking...maybe we could do something nice for Oneesan."

"Like what?" Honda asked, confused, "She never comes out unless Yugi's stressed to breaking point so we don't know what she likes."

"Well," Anzu grinned, "Here's what I was thinking..."

* * *

"This way."

Oneesan was on edge as she followed Jou's voice down the hallway, running her hand along the wall to keep some sort of grip on her perception of the world around her, uncomfortable with the blindfold that Jou had insisted was necessary for her surprise.

"Getting there."

That was another thing she didn't understand. She had skimmed Imoto-chan's memories and her little sister had known nothing about the details of this surprise, just trusted Jou enough to fake the emotions that had drawn Oneesan out of her slumber. However when Oneesan had threatened to retreat back into the Puzzle, Jou had panicked and told her that she couldn't because it would spoil the surprise and Anzu would have his head if she didn't come because he'd been an idiot.

Why Anzu even wanted her there was beyond her. Today hadn't been the first time she had saved the girl from trouble and Yugi's friend had never shown any signs of warming up to her before now. Still she had promised Jou she would stay until the surprise had been revealed at least so she did.

She hesitated as she ran out of wall, not as confident without her sight to aid her. She felt someone take her hand in one hand and place the other on her shoulder, reassurance attempting to be conveyed in the action. "Just a few more steps, Oneesan." Jou spoke softly, as if to a skittish cat, something she wasn't sure if she appreciated. "I'm here."

She followed his directions. It was Jou after all, and while she did suspect this was all part of some elaborate prank, she did trust him not to let her get hurt.

"Wait here." Jou murmured, letting go of her and moving away. Oneesan barely resisted the desire to reach up and rip the blindfold off so she could see her surroundings. Instead she waited, easily able to hear the movement that surrounded her and wondering what the hell was going on.

"Alright." Jou sounded like he was grinning, as fingers fumbled with the knot tying the cloth over her eyes, "Now."

The blindfold fell away and Oneesan had to blink a couple of times to adjust her eyes to the light. When she could see clearly again, it was to find that Anzu, Honda and her grandfather were there too, along with a chocolate cake with three candles on and a couple of presents.

"Surprise." The trio of teens called, smiling brightly at her before bursting into giggles at her confusion.

"Not that I'm not grateful, but..." Oneesan hesitated midsentence, trying to understand what they were up to.

"You've been free for just over three months now." Anzu informed her, "We thought that that deserved celebrating."

"Anyone who can put up with that knucklehead constantly hovering," Honda gestured to Jou, "For that long deserves a medal, yet alone a cake."

"Jou's not that big a problem." Oneesan replied, getting her bearings and grinning slightly at the look on Jou's face, enjoying teasing him. "But I won't say no to cake." She glanced at the gifts on the table, wondering if those were hers too and what they could have possibly bought for her considering she didn't spend much time outside the Puzzle unless it was in Yugi's body.

"Gifts after cake." Anzu promised, having seen the look, "I've already had to save it from Jou twice."

"I'm hungry." Jou complained.

"That's nothing new." Honda snorted, passing Oneesan the knife so she could cut the cake. "You're always hungry."

"Don't forget to make a wish when you blow the candles out." Anzu reminded her as Oneesan wondered what she was supposed to do with the lit sticks of wax.

"Okay..." Confused as to why someone would put candles on a cake and light them if their only purpose was to be blown out again, Oneesan silently wished that she and Imoto-chan would get to talk soon without someone invading their mind or attempting to shred Imoto-chan's soul, before extinguishing them with one breath. Then she cut the cake into six pieces as evenly as she could, making sure not to forget Imoto-chan.

"This is yours." She warned Jou as she handed him a piece, "Eat Imoto-chan's and I'll make good on that threat from the other day."

"I'll be good." Jou blanched, remembering her threat about embarrassing him in front of the whole school.

The cake was demolished in short order, Imoto-chan's piece put somewhere safe for later and the presents were handed over. There were four of them in total, one from each of her friends and one from both her grandfather and Imoto-chan.

Opening the one from Jou first, she found he had given her what looked like a gift tag in a purple and black cloth bag with gold embroidery and she glanced over at him, confusion obvious.

"It's an omamori." Jou explained, "A good luck charm from the nearby temple. You don't open the bag or it loses its power. That one's a yaku-yoke, it's supposed to be charmed to ward off evil. I figured since you're supposed to be avoiding evil right now until you and Yuge can work together it might help."

Oneesan nodded her understanding, suddenly grateful for the odd little charm. "Thank you." She smiled at him, putting it in her blouse pocket before moving on to Honda's.

He'd purchased a pair of books on Egyptian history written by an I. Ishtar that Honda wasn't sure would help Oneesan work out who she was, but seemed more involved with the mythological side of Egyptian history rather than the more mundane part. She was actually looking forward to flicking through and learning some more of her own myths and legends.

Anzu's gift came in two parts. Part of it was a scarab amulet that supposedly aided towards the holder's courage and protection, while the other was a silver cartouche, a blank one with no hieroglyphs inside. "For later." She explained, "Pharaohs were supposed to have their name in one of those, but since you don't know what yours is, I figured you could add your name later once you knew it and then you couldn't lose it again."

Oneesan nodded gratefully, placing the amulet on the table and putting the cartouche back in its box for now before reaching for the final present.

"It's from both Yugi and I." Sugoroku explained as Oneesan opened it to reveal a goban, a game board for the highly strategic and tactical game of Go, along with a set of stones for playing on it. "Any time you want a game when the store's not open, feel free to ask. I find sometimes playing games helps me clear my mind."

There was a letter with the set that was addressed to 'Oneesan' in Yugi's handwriting too and she opened it with care.

' _Dear Oneesan,_

_I know that to use this gift you'll have to borrow my body. I have no problems with this. I just hope you enjoy it. Also if you ever want to play against me set it up in the top right hand drawer of my desk and we'll play that way, even if we have to take turns over days rather than minutes. I would say leave it set up on the desk but Ginka might lose the pieces._

_Looking forward to playing games with you soon,_

_Imoto-chan.'_

Oneesan's hand ran over the smooth wooden surface, marvelling at the fact that Imoto-chan, who barely knew her beyond what she had been told about her, was willing to entrust her with her body for something as simple as playing games. Ordinary games, with nothing on the line. "Thank you. All of you."

"You're welcome, 'Neesan." Jou grinned, "It was Anzu's idea though so she should get the most brownie points. Hey!"

Oneesan turned to Anzu, a little surprised that the girl, who had seemed to dislike her thoroughly had put this little party together. Anzu had gone bright red and shoved Jou hard enough to cause him to fall off of the arm of the chair he had been balancing on and was now giving Oneesan an embarrassed smile.

"You're our friend. I thought, since we don't know when your birthday is we'd celebrate your freedom..." She trailed off, still looking embarrassed.

"I'm grateful." Oneesan tried to find the words, still surprised that they'd gone out of their way to do this for her, "I never expected anything like this." She hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit guilty for not wishing to say what she knew she should admit next, "But I should probably give Imoto-chan control back soon."

"Already?" Jou sulked, "But we were just about to pull out the multiplayer games and let you kick our butts!"

"Let me?" Jou's words set Oneesan's proud streak off at the thought that they would have to _let_ her win. "Oh that's it. You're going down, Jonouchi."


	16. Take 2

Yugi, Jou had discovered, was just as competitive as her older sister.

She hadn't really wanted to go to the arcade, but Jou had and on their way there, Jou had gotten her to agree to a friendly wager. Whoever managed to get the most high scores before the arcade closed would buy the other's lunch at school for a week. Of course he had forgotten who he was talking to.

While he struggled to scrape ninth and tenth place on the leaderboards, Yugi was systematically working her way through the games available, getting her name at the top of eight lists so far and was currently working on her ninth.

The local regulars, when they had seen 'YUG' slowly but surely pushing 'KAI,' who had held every high score in the arcade, into second place, had been in uproar. Suddenly there was a new player on the scene who was better than the guy who had held the top place on the leader boards for the last six months.

Jou was just glad that the lists drew from an online database that held the high scores of every console of that variety across the country otherwise someone would have worked out that it was his friend doing it and he was fully aware she got embarrassed easily when pounced on by large crowds.

Normally he wouldn't mind losing to his friend, but today it was grating on his nerves. Unlike Yugi, who more often than not shrugged off when people laughed at her, Jou couldn't just ignore the ribbing he was getting from some of the regulars for his inability to beat the high scores.

The final blow came when he managed to get a high score on a fighting game, something Yugi had admitted weeks ago was her worst genre of games, taking tenth place on the board. He entered his name but by the time the board had loaded up with the new names added to it, Yugi's was already in first place and had pushed his off of the board.

"That's it." Jou sulked, getting to his feet and ignoring the startled and vaguely worried look on Yugi's face, "I'm going to get a drink. I'll be back in a minute."

He stalked off towards the vending machines at the back of the arcade, needing a break from the games for a while. It wasn't like he could possibly catch up to Yugi's total anyway. He just didn't have her insane skills. "Note to self, never make a wager with Yugi about anything game related." He sighed as he put a hundred yen in the machine, getting out a cola for himself.

"Did you say Yugi?" One of the other kids hanging around asked, the one who had first noticed the steady increase of 'YUG' on the leaderboards. "Is he the one who's been beating Kaiba's high scores?"

Jou was about to snap something back when what the kid had said twigged, "Kaiba?"

"Yeah, that's who 'KAI' is. Kaiba Seto. You have to know who he is." The boy rolled his eyes, "He's only the guy in charge of Kaiba Corp, one of the world's leading games companies. He lives here, in Domino."

Jou knew Kaiba alright, but his mind had finally connected the Kaiba Seto who he sat in class with on an almost daily basis, with the Kaiba Seto who was well known amongst the gangs of the area as a powerful business man who hired thugs to do his dirty work for him.

While Jou had still been running with Hirutani, long before he had met Yugi, he had heard stories about the guy. How he was prone to hiring people to 'get rid' of problems for him.

He blanched slightly as he realised that Oneesan had made herself into a problem for the Kaiba brothers.

"You alright?" The kid asked.

Before Jou could answer there was a loud crash from over by the fighting games and someone yelled in pain. Jou dropped his drink and shot towards the sound as he recognised the voice, his previous thoughts dominating his mind.

"Yuge!" He pushed his way through the crowd building, some small part of his mind taking note of the suspicious looking guy heading away from the scene. Yugi was sat on the floor, leaning against one of the consoles, her posture curled up enough to tell him that her stomach hurt, while her already bruising cheek and slightly dazed expression finished telling him the story as he knelt at her side. "Yuge, you okay?"

"My Puzzle..." Yugi whimpered, looking down at the floor, her head bowed, her tone causing him to wince as he realised the Puzzle was missing.

Jou let out a hiss as he thought he worked out what had happened. Someone had seen the golden pendant Yugi always wore and had attacked the girl to take it for themselves, though why Oneesan hadn't woken up to defend her was beyond him.

It wasn't the Puzzle Yugi was truly concerned for, Jou knew that without having to think about it. It was the spirit within that held Yugi's attention. Though Yugi had never been a fighter, the fact she hadn't been able to protect the artefact and prevent her sister from being taken away would weigh heavily on her for a while.

"I'll get it." Jou promised, rage beginning to take a hold as he realised that this wasn't some thug of Kaiba's but some garden variety loser. He stood up and headed in the direction the suspicious looking guy had gone. It wasn't hard to find him, he hadn't gone far, too busy admiring his 'prize.'

"Hold it right there!" Jou snarled as the guy turned a corner and stepped down an alley. The guy turned to look at him, smirking as he did so. "How dare you hurt my friend?!" He demanded, "Hand over the Puzzle and I won't have to rip you apart!"

"You?" The guy looked amused, "Have the audacity to challenge _me_ to a street fight?"

"It's not a fight." Jou shot back, more than used to dealing with jackasses like him and feeling rather within his comfort zone, "It's gunna be a slaughter. And then I'm gunna take back the Puzzle."

"Well get this," The guy smirked, actually looking forward to putting the challenger in his place, "I've never lost a fight. I know karate and boxing. You're the one that's gunna die."

"Quit flapping your jaw and make your move already." Jou growled. If the guy had studied karate and boxing then Jou was tempted to get the name of the dojo the thug studied at and warn his sensei that he was using it to pick on defenceless girls. Something most sensei's weren't supposed to approve of.

"Don't be so hasty." The guy replied, only increasing Jou's desire to punch him in the mouth. "I'm a big fan of Bruce Lee, he wasn't just a movie star, he was a real fighter! He showed his true strength to the world in the Ed Porter International Karate Tournament at Long Beach! That's where he used his 'One Inch Punch!' The records show that with just one inch no handicap his punch blew his opponent away..."

Jou didn't really pay attention as the lecture continued, he had heard quite enough about Bruce Lee and quite frankly had no time for this fanboy of some deceased has been. It wasn't until the guy broke off his rambling by ending it with, "So we'll do this like a fighting game." That Jou really started to pay attention, subtly glancing around and relaxing slightly when he saw none of the wisps of Shadows that he had during the Shadow Game he had taken part in.

"If you win, I'll give you the Puzzle." The guy offered, still confident in his ability to kick Jou's rear. "But there's a catch." He pulled two knives out of his pocket. "We'll play this like a 'Game of Death' just like the film with Bruce Lee by holding them between our teeth."

"What?" Jou deadpanned.

"Of course if you don't want to play, I'll just smash this Puzzle now."

Jou froze at that threat. Oneesan had told him herself that if the Puzzle was dismantled she would return to the darkness that had held her for so long. He had promised her that he wouldn't let her be sent back. If he wanted to keep his word to both her and to Yugi who was expecting him to come back with her Puzzle whole and safe, he had no choice but to take part.

Easily able to see that Jou wouldn't refuse, the guy smirked and put one of the knives between his teeth, offering the other to the blonde who took it.

"Fine." Jou said, accepting the blade, "But take that out of your mouth. I don't want to have to hold back when I punch you in the face."

"It's your funeral." The guy shrugged spitting his blade out as Jou put his in. "When I punch you in the face that knife will go right into your throat! One inch is enough to kill you! Let's go!"

Suddenly, without fair warning of the 'game' starting, Jou was under attack. Swiftly having to move to defend himself from an assault that was much more powerful than he anticipated. It was easy to see that his opponent had been trained by a professional and while Jou had years of experience on the streets, he had to sweat to keep up with the man, the knife putting him at a disadvantage he could ill afford.

' _Damn it.'_ He thought as he narrowly dodged a strike that would have driven the blade down his throat, _'The alley's narrow, I've got next to no room...'_ A lucky shot winded Jou, causing the teen to double up and, luckily, back up, giving him a chance to recover as the guy gloated before moving in for the kill.

Jou launched a powerful upper cut that knocked the guy off of his feet and sent him sprawling. An agonised wailing starting up as Jou winced at the sight of the mess he had made of the guy's face. "Uh oh..." He said as he spat out the blade and unhitched the Puzzle from around the guy's neck, "Broken jaw... Not my problem."

A part of him felt a little guilty, while the rest of him reminded that part that the guy had just tried to KILL him and the dude was lucky that he was getting away with just a broken jaw.

"And if I EVER see you anywhere near Yugi again, I'll break a few more things." Jou decided to threaten, putting on a tough guy act he hadn't used since leaving Hirutani's gang, knowing that they often came to the arcade and not wanting the prick to try again when he recovered from this particular beatdown.

The guy didn't respond beyond glowering at him and Jou took it as his chance to leave. Yugi was still waiting for him at the arcade anyway and he wanted to reunite the sisters as soon as possible. For some reason the thought of Yugi without Oneesan and vice versa left him feeling odd, like the idea didn't mesh properly in his head. Possibly because Yugi had had the Puzzle, and hence Oneesan, for almost as long as he had been her friend.

By the time he got back to the arcade Yugi had unballed herself and was hovering anxiously by the door, her face lighting up when she saw he had the Millennium Puzzle. The moment he slipped the rope over her head she hugged it to her chest tightly. For a moment Jou thought he saw a flash of the illusion that normally went up when Oneesan took control, then it was gone, leaving Yugi behind.

"Thank you." Yugi grinned at him brightly, the joy in her features chasing away the darker emotions that were still swirling within Jou. "I owe you."

"Eh, we'll call it even if you let me win once in a while." Jou replied with a teasing grin. "Or some donuts. Don't mind which."

"I think the donuts might be easier to provide." Yugi admitted with no small amount of embarrassment. It didn't seem to matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to lose convincingly when she threw any game she played and she just knew Jou would get frustrated if she didn't provide at least some form of challenge.

"Donuts it is then." Jou chuckled, herding her out of the building, not sorry to get away before anyone asked what he had done to the thief anyway. They were halfway down the road before anything else could happen, then a rather large white limo pulled alongside them.

When the window rolled down to reveal a brat with long black hair and a vindictive smile, causing Yugi to freeze up, Jou just knew it was going to be one of those days.

"Hi Yugi." Mokuba said as two goons got out of the car. Jou could see guns tucked into their waistbands and instantly moved to cover Yugi's much smaller form with his huge frame. He couldn't help but wonder when the hell they had been dragged into some mob film and let out a soft hiss as he remembered that it had been the elder Kaiba making the mistake of pissing off Oneesan that had done it. "My Oniisan requests your presence. He's got a surprise for you."

"Tell your brother I'm sorry." Yugi replied, shaking her head even with the two goons looming, "But I have homework to be doing and I have to..." She trailed off as one of the goons drew a gun, shielding it from the shoppers milling around but making the threat obvious.

"I'm afraid Kaiba-Sama was rather insistent." One of the goons informed her.

"Let Jou go and I'll come quietly." Yugi promised, not wanting her friend hurt for something she had done.

"You're not going in without me, Yuge." Jou shook his head. "If you're going, I'm going."

Yugi couldn't see that she had much of a choice but to get in the limo. They had guns and while she had Oneesan, she couldn't guarantee Jou's safety if the goons were faster off the mark with their weapons than Oneesan was with her magic.

"There's more than enough room at the mansion for the both of you." Mokuba replied, his attempt to sound reassuring marred by the huge smirk on his face.

"Jou..." Yugi looked up at her friend. She didn't want him to follow her. Not this time he realised. He had thought her ignorant to the threat the Kaibas posed but obviously he had thought wrong and now she wanted him well away while they took whatever revenge they had planned.

"I'll be fine. Trust me." Jou pounded his fist into his other hand firmly and watched as uncertainty crossed Yugi's features for a moment before she nodded.

"Alright," Yugi nodded, agreeing to him coming, if only because she had the feeling that he would follow her anyway if she didn't. One of the goons opened the door for the pair and Yugi slipped in first, half hoping that they would shut the door on Jou before he could get in. She wasn't that lucky and her friend slid into the seat next to her.

The door slammed shut behind them and before they could ask any questions they were on the move again.

"This is about Death-T, isn't it?" Yugi asked nervously, remembering the note she had found in her drawer alongside the goban the morning after Oneesan's party.

"How did... I told the Other Yugi. Not you." Mokuba looked confused.

"Oneesan doesn't keep secrets from me when knowing them could save my life." Yugi replied with a shrug, pleased at herself for getting the upper hand on him mentally without Oneesan's help.

"Oneesan?" Mokuba questioned.

Yugi didn't offer any explanation, realising she shouldn't have said even that much and not wanting to give away any more secrets. Just giving them the name they used for the nameless Pharaoh within her Puzzle felt bad enough.

Mokuba grimaced when he realised he wouldn't get any more information out of her on that subject and nodded slightly. "Yes, this is about Death-T. You have no idea what you're going up against."

"Who said Yuge'd agree to take part?" Jou pointed out with a growl, not liking the sound of it.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be left a choice in the matter." Yugi replied softly, though Jou could hear how tense she was.

"Don't be like that, Yugi." Mokuba scolded her, "My brother spent millions on building the perfect theme park just for you. The least you could do is be grateful."

Kaiba had gone to that expense for Yugi's sake? It wasn't for her. She was certain of that. He, like Shadi, most likely wanted to draw Oneesan out and test her to destruction and whatever happened to her was just the collateral.

"Oneesan will beat your brother's theme park." Yugi warned Mokuba, fully confident in her big sister's ability to beat any challenge that came her way. It was one of the many ways Oneesan was better than her.

"We'll see." Mokuba shrugged, actually looking forward to it more since Yugi wasn't just lying down and playing dead. Reports he and his brother had gathered had suggested that she'd grown more confident since solving the Puzzle and the proof was here in front of him.

Jou himself was surprised at how confident Yugi was proving. Death-T was most likely aimed at killing her and she didn't look afraid, if anything she looked cross. The Yugi he had picked on a couple of months back wouldn't have been like this. Finishing the Puzzle and getting Oneesan had been good for her. Now he just had to hope that it wouldn't get them both murdered horribly.

"Is that where we're going?" Yugi asked.

"No." Mokuba admitted, "The park doesn't open until tomorrow. You're the opening attraction. Tonight we're taking you to the mansion."

"If we're ordering our last meals," Jou worked out what was going on, remembering hearing somewhere about how people who were up for execution getting whatever they wanted for their final meal. "I'd like a sixteen ounce rib-eye steak, medium rare, with fried mushrooms and chips. Yuge'll take like, twenty cheeseburgers."

"Twenty?" Mokuba looked amused.

"Believe me, she'd eat them." Joey shrugged, uncaring if Mokuba believed him or not, but fully aware Yugi could eat like a horse when she was hungry, yet didn't seem to put on any weight, possibly because she was sustaining Oneesan too.

"Twenty cheeseburgers. Got it." Mokuba still looked amused though, suggesting that Yugi would probably be going hungry.

Jou just grimaced as he turned away and watched the world pass them by. If the younger Kaiba was actually contemplating his request, the older one was probably not going to stop tomorrow until they were, in fact, as dead as Oneesan if not more so.

Yugi fell silent when Jou did, much more frightened by the turn of events than she was letting on. She was both glad of Jou's presence at her side and hated the fact he was being dragged into this.

A part of her wanted to be cross at Oneesan too, but this was her fault, not the Pharaoh's. If she hadn't been foolish enough to have let him take the Blue Eyes card from her in the first place, Oneesan wouldn't have had to have Challenged him and they would never have come to the attention of the Kaibas.

As they passed through the gates, Jou kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, trying to work out if he could find a route that would allow both him and Yugi to get the hell out of there. There were several routes he alone could have taken, all of which were risky with the goons and dogs he could see patrolling the grounds, but he wasn't willing to leave his friend behind.

As they pulled up in front of the building and were escorted inside, Jou realised that every guard that had seen them walk into the building would probably have no qualms about lying if the pair of them were to suddenly disappear. It made him wonder what, exactly, he had gotten himself into.

It also made him wonder what he would have been like a few years down the line if he had followed the path he had seemed destined for while still running with Hirutani's gang. Back then, the only way up had seemed to be getting himself a position with the yakuza. If he had gone that way, would he have been just as jaded?

"Welcome to the Kaiba Mansion." Mokuba showed off the front hallway. It was huge, ornately decorated and showed the trappings of wealth wherever you looked. "The guards phoned ahead with your orders, so if you'd like to follow me through to the dining hall we can eat now and then I can show you to your rooms."

"Rooms?" Jou asked.

"Yes, rooms." Mokuba replied, "It's not proper for you two to share a room, unless there is some truth in the rumours..." Mokuba smirked as Yugi flushed bright red in her embarrassment and shook her head.

"No, no, it'll be fine." Yugi glanced at Jou. "Right?"

"Fine." Jou held back a grimace, having to adjust his escape plans to incorporate the fact Yugi would be in a different bedroom. Not that he had a firm plan yet. He just didn't want to go down quietly. Not to the plans of some rich creeps who had to hire goons to do their own dirty work and didn't know how to fight fair. Yugi's earlier offer to surrender herself if they let him go had not helped his mood either.

"Good." Mokuba grinned, guiding them into the dining hall as he did so and gesturing for them to take seats at a table that had both the meals Jou had requested for them as well as a couple of dishes from other countries. Yugi's mouth watered at the smells rising from the hot and delicious looking food but even as Jou settled at the chair opposite his steak something seemed wrong about the whole set up.

"I thought, since you seemed so hungry in the limo we'd play a little game." Mokuba informed them, sitting down on the last chair, his words setting off Yugi's warning bells. "You spin the board and you get to eat whatever stops in front of you."

"It's not poisoned is it?" Jou asked, eying up the steak in front of him, voicing the concern that Yugi hadn't wanted to.

"Would I do a thing like that?" Mokuba seemed wounded. "Go on, try it." He gestured to the wheel. Jou warily spun the board, watching it for tricks as it slowly came to a stop, depositing the steak back in front him.

Jou dug in, still wary but hungry. He was halfway through the plate of food before he stopped, eyes going wide, a choking gasp coming from his mouth, before his face screwed up in pain, and his breathing turned rough and uneven. "You...!" He gasped out, glaring daggers at Mokuba.

"The answer is yes." Mokuba replied, unconcerned by Jou's hatred. "I would poison the food."

"This time you die!" Oneesan snarled, seizing control from her little sister and rising to her feet.

"Uh uh, Oneesan." Mokuba tutted at her, seeming pleased by the outburst and remembering what Yugi had called her, "You kill me, you'll never get the antidote to save your friend."

"Give it to me! Right now!" Oneesan threatened the young Kaiba, ignoring the way the guards were reaching for their guns.

"You want it, you'll have to beat me. Sit back down." Mokuba ordered, gesturing to the seat Oneesan had vacated.

Oneesan sat and glowered at her opponent for a moment as she started the table spinning, before glancing over at Jou, who had slumped at the table, concern cutting through her rage. She had to end his fast. She didn't know how fast acting the poison was, or how long Jou had before he...

She turned back to the table in time to see Mokuba playing with an empty bottle of sauce. Since the only thing on the table that required sauce adding to it was the pancakes, she assumed that was what it was for. Or she would have done if he hadn't been fiddling with it during Jou's turn too.

A plate of spaghetti bolognaise stopped in front of her.

"You have to clear your plate, Oneesan." Mokuba smirked at her, "That's the rules."

"Remember Mokuba," Oneesan warned, feeling the Shadows straining against her tight mental grip, wanting to both enhance and feed from her rage and refusing to loose them unless completely necessary. No matter how much she wanted to use them to deal with the brat, she needed him coherent in order to provide the antidote and she had sworn to stop using magic until she could guarantee she could control herself, "What I did the last time you rigged the game against me."

Mokuba glowered at her, gesturing once again to her plate. Oneesan ate it rapidly, figuring that Mokuba wouldn't want the game to end so soon and watching intently as he took his turn. Once again he messed around with the empty syrup bottle and got himself some ramen which he ate eagerly.

"Your turn again." Mokuba gestured to the table, "There's only two meals left, so why don't we both eat whatever meal's in front of us. If yours isn't poisoned, I'll give you the antidote. If it is, too bad, you'll both die."

He had planned this and she felt her anger rising again. As Mokuba got distracted by a butler who had entered the room and seemed to be trying to remind the younger Kaiba about something, she swiftly removed the Puzzle and wrapped the rope around one of the posts, before spinning it fast enough that the Puzzle smashed the glass syrup bottle.

"What?!" Mokuba yelped as Oneesan struggled to stay in control of the body, the Puzzle tugging at her soul, calling her back inside, "Why would you..." He trailed off, paling as the burgers stopped in front of him.

"We have to clear our plate, wasn't that the rules?" Oneesan asked, smirking at him even as she felt herself slipping, trying to end it before Yugi was forced back into control of her body.

Mokuba nodded, still pale. She had guessed that he had poisoned the burgers too. Their last meal requests would indeed have been their final meals. "You know what, you win." Mokuba shook his head, pushing the plate away and tossing the antidote across the table in a throw that nearly ended with the small glass vial on the floor, shattered just like the syrup bottle.

Oneesan snatched it from the air just milliseconds from hitting the floor and darted over to her friend, tipping what she prayed was really the antidote down his neck. Jou coughed and spluttered for a moment, then slowly, steadily, his breathing evened out and the pain seemed to decrease. Oneesan, however, didn't get to see him open his eyes, having lost her fight with the Puzzle's pull on her spirit, leaving Yugi to nervously hover over her friend.

"Jou?"

"I'm okay." Jou didn't sound okay, his voice was rough and still had an edge of pain even as he got up and moved unsteadily around the table, unhitching the Puzzle from the post it was tied to and handing it to Yugi. "Thanks Yuge."

"Oneesan saved you." Yugi's voice wavered, fear now a lot more obvious. She could handle threats to herself, but she had come close to losing him. "You...You should leave..."

"It's a little late for that." Mokuba answered for him, having watched the interaction between them, "The mansion's shut down for the night. The guards will shoot anyone who tries to leave."

"Even you or Kaiba?" Jou snarled, his head still spinning slightly and thoroughly pissed off. He wouldn't have abandoned Yugi anyway, but he knew that there was no way he would be able to get both of them out before morning now, not unless the weakness in his limbs and dizziness cleared up in short order.

Mokuba shrugged, having planned on incapacitating the ex-gang member all along in order to prevent any trouble he could have caused before it could happen and so they had a bargaining chip to use against Oneesan. "I don't plan on testing it." He replied, "Now, let me show you to your rooms."

Jou bristled, anger rising as he realised that the Kaibas had been planning on him refusing to leave Yugi's side, but there was nothing he could do about it now. The term 'live bait' sprang to mind and the only thing he could think as they were taken upstairs and separated was that at least it was him here at Yugi's side and not Anzu or Yugi's Grandfather.

As the door locked behind him and he realised that the windows were barred and that Yugi's room was probably set up much the same way, it was a small mercy.


	17. No Choice

Yugi couldn't sleep.

Before she had been locked away in the room that they had, in Mokuba's words, so graciously allowed her to have the younger Kaiba brother had warned her that if she dared try any funny business it was the still recovering Jou who would suffer the consequences.

Not that she understood what Mokuba expected her to do. Oneesan had somehow been forced out of her body and Jou had nearly died. She wasn't willing to risk the safety of either of them by fighting back. Instead she had allowed herself to be shoved into the bedroom and the thick wooden door, which she could never have knocked down by herself, had been locked behind her.

The bedroom itself was a showcase of opulence. Even the night dress that had been left on the bed for her showed just how rich the Kaibas were. She hadn't changed, not when she had suspected that there were security cameras lacing the room and its on-suite bathroom. Instead she had moved over to the barred windows and tried to work out if she could see anything that might give her some indication of where the Kaiba Mansion actually was.

She hadn't had any luck on that front, but she did have a lovely view of the grounds, causing her to realise, once again, just how much trouble she was in. It didn't help when her overactive imagination informed her that with this much land, Kaiba could kill her and they would never find the body.

With that pleasant thought in mind, she had spent most of the remaining evening trying to work out where the cameras were, becoming pleased that she hadn't changed when she had found three in the bedroom and one in the bathroom.

Slumping back onto the bed and staring at the ceiling hadn't helped her mood any, nor had it allowed her to sleep. It had allowed her, however, to notice how comfortable it was.

She let out an irritated sigh as she sank into the mattress. Part of her wondered if it was her last night on Earth, while another part pondered over why she wasn't more worried about it if it was.

It was the lack of being able to do anything about her situation, she realised, that had put her in this frame of mind. There was no use panicking and spending the night in tears, though the option had seemed appealing to start with. She couldn't escape, not with Jou still sick from the poison and not with her room so securely locked down. Working herself into a state would only leave her feeling like crud in the morning when she would have to deal with whatever the Kaibas had planned.

She didn't really care if Kaiba murdered her. It wasn't that she had a death wish. Even with everything that had happened, her life since completing the Millennium Puzzle was the happiest it had ever been and she wanted that to continue for a long, long time. She just would rather that if it came to it, it was her rather than her friends or grandfather who paid the price. She would die a hundred times if it meant protecting them, especially if Oneesan would be okay too.

She was worried for her Other Self. Normally she couldn't tell if something had gone wrong, but when she had been put back in control of her body after Oneesan had gotten the antidote it hadn't been the usual, gentle exchange she was used to. Instead she had ricocheted back into control hard enough that it had felt like she had smacked her head against the front of her skull. And if that wasn't a confusing mental image she didn't know what was.

Holding the golden item in both hands, she rolled onto her side and curled around the ancient artefact as best she could. "I hope you're all right, Oneesan." Yugi spoke aloud. It seemed safe enough, given that the Kaibas knew about her big sister anyway. "I'm sorry about all of this. If I hadn't lead Kaiba to Ojiisan and his Blue Eyes none of this would have happened."

She didn't know if it was wishful thinking or just her imagination or whether Oneesan had really responded, but she felt like she had been hugged and reassurance washed over her. She didn't have time to think about it too much, because drowsiness overtook her and she had just enough time to hit the light switch by the bed before she dozed off.

When she awoke again sunlight was filtering into the room through the half open curtains and there was someone knocking on her door. The morning had arrived.

"Mutou-san?" There was a female voice at the door, "I'm coming in."

Yugi sat up as the door unlocked and watched warily as a maid entered the room followed by an armed guard.

"Good morning, Mutou-san." The maid looked a little nervous, causing Yugi to wonder if it was because Kaiba had been spreading rumours about her and what 'she' could do, or the maid was new and unused to kidnappings. "I brought tea."

"Thank you." Yugi politely took it, there was no need to be rude to the help after all, it wasn't their fault.

"Breakfast will be in half an hour." The maid informed her as Yugi hesitated for a moment, sniffed the liquid, wasn't able to smell anything but tea and risked taking a sip. She couldn't taste anything either. "Kaiba-sama asked me to inform you that he has had the cameras turned off so you can have a wash if you like." The maid looked her over, confusion obvious, "He also asked me to drop this off." With that she put a set of clothes on the chair next to the bed. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, thank you." Yugi shook her head. The maid looked relieved and shot out the room as fast as possible, the armed guard following. Yugi wasn't sure what to make of it. Instead of trying she put the cup of tea on the side and moved over to examine the clothes.

Yugi paled as she realised the clothes that she'd been left were the same ones she had left out on her chair in her bedroom. Kaiba had obviously sent people around to her house to collect them. On the one hand that was a good thing because that meant her grandfather knew where she was. On the other she had to hope that she wasn't going to head downstairs to find that Ojiisan was joining them for breakfast.

Taking the clothes into the bathroom, she noted that the little red lights on the security cameras had were off, suggesting that Kaiba was keeping his word. She quickly got ready, noting with shock that the bruise on her cheek, the one that had been given to her by the thief from yesterday and which had been turning a lovely shade of black and purple when she had looked in the mirror last night, was gone.

"Did you...?" She trailed off, wondering when Oneesan had healed her as she rested her hand against the Puzzle, staring at the golden item in the mirror, "Thanks." She imagined balling up her feelings of gratitude and putting them in the Puzzle but she didn't know if it worked as she had no response.

"Mutou-san?" The maid poked her head in the door as she did up her leather vest and slipped her top on over the top, causing her to squeak and cover herself with her arms. "Sorry, sorry!" The maid yelped, panicked, and backed out of the room. "Breakfast is almost ready and your friend's already downstairs."

"Thanks, I'll be out in a sec." Yugi replied, seriously wondering what was being said about her now, pulling on her remaining clothes and darting out the door just in time to hear the maid saying, "But Mr Kaiba said she killed someone and drove others insane..."

"Hi?" Yugi asked nervously, unable to deny that accusation since Oneesan had been in control of her body at the time. "I can make my own way down if you're uncomfortable."

The maid looked relieved but the gun toting lackey shook his head, "No, I'll walk you down." He informed her, herding the girl down the stairs and back the way Mokuba had led her the day before.

The moment she spotted Jou she cheered up slightly, darting into the room and hugging her friend for a moment before letting go. "You feeling better?" She asked, looking him up and down and noting that he didn't seem to be in pain anywhere.

"Much." Jou posed, noting that Yugi seemed to be relaxing a bit despite their surroundings, at the reassurance. "Just needed a good night's sleep, that's all." Sleeping in enemy territory was nothing new to him and he suspected that he had probably had slept much better than she had. She looked surprisingly rested though, so maybe he was underestimating her.

"That's good." Yugi grinned, sitting at the table and gesturing to the seat next to her as the food was brought in.

"How can you think about eating?" Jou complained as he eyeballed the food which smelled delicious but could be just as dangerous as the food from the previous night.

"I don't remember eating since lunch yesterday and whatever Oneesan actually did get to eat wasn't very filling." Yugi replied, eyeing up the plate, "So I'm starving."

"But it might be...Yuge!" Jou protested as Yugi started eating.

"Yum." She replied with a grin. When she didn't seem to keel over in pain Jou took the risk and downed his food almost as quickly. The pair were almost done when the main door opened again and their host entered the room.

"Kaiba!" Jou scrambled to his feet, glaring at the other teen but Yugi was fast enough to grab his arm before he could start something.

"Good morning." The elder Kaiba brother smirked at both of them, causing Jou to bristle, "I hope you slept well."

"Fine." Yugi replied, "Can we go now?"

"But Yugi-chan, I have so much to show you." Kaiba complained.

"We don't want anything of yours." Jou snapped at him, "Not after you had us grabbed off the street and your brother tried to kill us!"

"Jou." Yugi warned, getting between the two and trying to prevent Jou from getting himself shot by the pair that had followed Kaiba through the door.

"It's okay, Yugi-chan, he's allowed to be mad." Kaiba waved it off, completely unconcerned by Jou's rage, "My little brother was in high spirits last night. I have had a word with him about it."

"High spirits!" Jou spluttered. "High spirits? You..."

"Please, Kaiba-san," Yugi tried, interrupting Jou's rant, "I just want to go home."

"Yugi-chan, just hear me out." Kaiba insisted, "Ever since I took over Kaiba Corp, I've been working towards my dream of building Kaiba Land and it's finally ready. I think it's fitting that a Game Master of my own calibre gets to try it out its attractions first. I designed part of it specifically for _you_ after all."

"Not for me." Yugi shook her head, "None of this was for me and you know it."

"What is Oneesan but an extension of you?" Kaiba responded with a shrug. "You and her co-exist. I can't challenge her without challenging you."

"If I'm part of her, I get a say on whether we take your challenges." Yugi stood up to Kaiba and noted the scowl that was slowly working its way onto his face, "And I want to go home."

"Maybe you should think about something first, Yugi-chan." The CEO of Kaiba Corp. snorted, "I know where you live and I've had people sent round to your home. Your Grandfather seemed fine on his own, but..."

"You wouldn't..." Yugi blanched, understanding the threat.

"Just come and look. Without causing a fuss." He had her and he knew it as all the fight seemed to drain out of her. At least for now.

"Alright." Yugi agreed as Jou growled at the rich, blackmailing, prick, "I'll come to your theme park."

"Good." Kaiba seemed to flip moods almost instantly, a bright smile on his face. Jou couldn't help but wonder if Kaiba had snapped. "You're going to have so much fun, Yugi-chan."

Yugi severely doubted it, but she wasn't going to fight him. Not with that threat hanging over her head. Instead she finished breakfast and followed them meekly to the limo, her mood slightly lifted by the names Jou was calling Kaiba under his breath. To his credit, the elder Kaiba brother seemed to be ignoring it, instead focusing on dispatching orders to his mooks before entering the vehicle himself.

It didn't take long for them to reach the Kaiba Corp. Tower and Yugi was surprised to see such a huge crowd gathered outside.

"They're here for the grand opening." Kaiba explained, a look of greed-tainted joy on his face, "Everyone's going to enjoy my park. Finally my dream's coming to fruition. It's only fitting that you get to see it, Yugi-chan."

Yugi didn't rise to the bait. Though she was curious as to what could cause Seto's mood to flip so drastically, she hadn't forgotten how he had gotten her here in the first place. No matter how nice he wanted to seem, he had had her kidnapped and threatened her grandfather. However she didn't hold any real anger towards Kaiba. Something within her heart told her that he could be an ally, maybe even a friend. But not until he got past whatever darkness was clouding his heart.

"Ready, Yugi-chan?" Kaiba asked, grinning at her as he reached for the door handle.

Yugi wasn't honestly sure if she was. She had every faith in Oneesan and she was no slouch at games herself, between the pair of them she was certain they could probably get through this. Especially since Kaiba had specifically stated he was Challenging her and her elder sister. She hoped, though she didn't want to plan on it, that he had at least learned enough from his previous Penalty, to know that a Challenge _always_ had to be fair.

If he had taken that lesson to heart like she hoped, there was more of a chance that they would walk away from this.

"I'm ready."

On those words Kaiba opened the door. Yugi flinched at the wave of noise that entered the formerly silent vehicle. Even after making friends, she was still the shy girl who had trouble approaching strangers and the idea of going out there frightened her a little.

Jou, having seen her cringe, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder before shoving her forward a touch. Yugi took the hint and exited behind Kaiba, becoming relieved when she found that most of their attention was on the CEO. In fact they pretty much got ignored right up until the doors, where a rather frazzled looking man in a dirty, rumpled suit leapt in front of Kaiba yelling "I know what you did!"

"Ignore him." The grin had vanished again, replaced with the cold, hard look Kaiba had been wearing when he had casually threatened Yugi's grandfather. "He's a disgruntled ex-employee, nothing more. Guards!"

"You killed him!" The man continued as Kaiba's thugs dragged him out the door, "Your own father! You bast..." The doors slammed shut, cutting the man off but Kaiba didn't seem overly concerned.

"My father committed suicide." Kaiba spoke, his tone full of pride, "He Challenged me and he lost the company because of it. Death was his reward." Jou let out a sharp breath at that, but neither he or Yugi replied. There wasn't much they could say after all. "Now," He continued as they stopped on floor three, "I'm afraid your surprise isn't quite ready, Yugi-chan, so I'm going to leave you to enjoy some of the rides for the time being. I'll send someone to come and get you when it's time."

Yugi and Jou stepped out, followed by a pair of goons, and then Kaiba continued further up the tower. The pair of them managed to lose the thugs in the crowds and slipped out of sight behind one of the booths.

"So we're leaving, right?" Jou asked the moment he was certain they couldn't be heard.

"You can." Yugi shook her head. "But if I run now, he'll just come to the shop and Ojiisan could get hurt. It's better I stay."

Jou paused and considered her carefully for a few moments before letting out a soft snort, "Are you sure you're Yugi? Because a couple of months ago you wouldn't have stood up for yourself."

Yugi wanted to complain but Jou was right. She hadn't found the confidence to start sticking up for herself until she had had other people to defend first. However...

"I'm still not." Yugi admitted hesitantly, "I'm not doing this for me, I'm staying to protect Ojiisan."

"Ah." Jou grimaced, suddenly understanding Yugi's determination to see this through. Not that she hadn't changed a lot since he had first met her, but she still didn't tend to stand up for herself. For her friends and classmates, yes, but for herself, not so much.

"You don't have to stay." Yugi promised Jou, kind of hoping he wouldn't so he didn't get dragged into this mess any further than he was already, "But I'm not leaving. Not yet."

"Not going anywhere, Yuge." Jou shrugged, "I'm not gonna leave you alone with that creepazoid." He looked around at the rides, "So shall we make the most of it? I mean it's not often you get a free pass to a theme park."

"I guess?" Yugi wasn't completely sure it was safe but the games and rides were luring her in and she wanted, just for an hour or so, to have fun instead of worrying about her fate.

Jou dragged her off to test out some of the rides, his mood improving slightly when he realised that, as Kaiba's special guests, they were getting jumped to the front of the queues. Yugi was pretty sure that it was because they needed to be available the moment Kaiba requested their presence but she wasn't going to complain.

It was about an hour and a half later that they were collected from the park for Kaiba's 'special surprise.' They followed the goons to the lift, continued to almost the top floor and then stepped out into a packed arena of children screaming Kaiba's name in uproarious applause, surrounding a glass box.

That wasn't what caught Yugi's attention though. What did that was what was inside the glass box.

"Ojiisan!" Yugi darted forward, only for her arm to be caught by one of Kaiba's thugs who held her back. "Kaiba!" She wheeled around to glare at him, shocking Jou, "You promised you'd leave him alone!"

"He came to me." Kaiba shrugged, with a small, pleased smirk, "Seemed concerned about your safety."

"Leave him alone." Yugi almost pleaded but held herself in check, or at least tried. It was what he wanted after all and she didn't want to give him the pleasure.

"He challenged me." Kaiba shrugged, moving towards the glass box, "And I never turn down a challenge." With that he took a microphone from his chief mook and the crowd quieted down to listen. "Here we have Mutou Sugoroku, a Games Master who's never lost a challenge. He challenged me, the World Champion at Duel Monsters."

"Duel Monsters?" Jou asked.

"The real name for Wizards and Monsters." Yugi replied, watching what was going on with real concern as Kaiba entered the booth and the game began. If Yugi hadn't been so worried about her Grandfather she would have appreciated the game more, it was a close game right up until the end. Sugoroku thought he had it won when he summoned his Blue Eyes White Dragon, only for Kaiba to turn around and summon three of them.

After that it was just a moment of time before Yugi's grandfather was defeated and Yugi watched in horror as Kaiba claimed her grandfather's card as his prize and held it both hands.

Somehow she could tell what he was going to do before he did it and her heart ached. "No. No!" She darted forward, Shadows swirling around her briefly before shifting to the card in Kaiba's hand. With a flash that was thankfully mostly hidden by the stage lights shining on the box, Sugoroku's Blue Eyes was in Yugi's hand.

"How did I?" Yugi asked, staring at the card for a moment, before her attention was drawn away by Kaiba's voice booming from the 'Battle Box.'

"Penalty Game!"

As Kaiba stepped back out of the box it sprang to life with holographic monsters which launched themselves at her Grandfather. Where it had been difficult to hear what was going on before, Ojiisan's sudden screams of terror were easily audible over the sounds of the crowds' application of the new technology.

"Ojiisan!" Yugi pressed one hand on the glass of the Battle Box and clutched the Blue Eyes to her chest carefully with the other, feeling concern radiating from the card, its light pulsing.

"Losers suffer a Penalty, Yugi-chan, you know that." Kaiba's voice drew her away from her grandfather, his eyes focused on the hand holding the card he wanted to tear up. "We've done human trials. People can go insane in about five minutes."

"Let him out." Yugi demanded, refusing to let him damage the card of her Grandfather's heart but not wanting her Grandfather to go crazy either.

"Only if you agree to face my greatest creation." Kaiba retorted, "Swear to take on Death-T and your grandfather goes free." He glanced at the Battle Box, "I'm not sure his heart will last five minutes, so you should probably make your deci..."

"I'll do it." Yugi spoke before he could finish his sentence, "I'll take on Death-T. Now turn it off!" At a gesture from Kaiba the holograms cut out and Kaiba stepped aside as Yugi dashed past him, entering the Battle Box and rushing to her Grandfather's side. "Ojiisan!"

"Yugi..." Sugoroku's skin was pale grey and his lips were tinged with blue, his arm trembled with the effort as he raised it to brush her cheek, brushing away the tears that were beginning to fall, "I'm so glad...you're okay..."

"Ojiisan. Please! Hold on!" Yugi begged, forcing the card into her Grandfather's hand, hoping it would give him some comfort to know it was safe. Instead he gazed at it for a moment, before handing her it and his deck.

"Be careful..." Sugoroku gasped as Jou managed to steal someone's phone to call for an ambulance, "He's horrible... twisted... take my deck... and teach him a lesson..."

"Ojiisan..." Yugi hesitated.

"You can... beat him." He reassured his Granddaughter, "Just...be careful... he cheats..."

"I know." Yugi reassured him, "Oneesan and I, we'll bring your deck back. I promise."

"Come home safe..." Sugoroku shook his head, "That's all that matters..." With that he passed out.

"Yuge!" Jou stuck his head in the door, "The ambulance is on its way."

"Oh thank god." Yugi breathed, relief coursing through her. "Jou, please..."

"I've already called in a favour," Jou replied, "Hanasaki's heading to the hospital to keep us updated while we clear Kaiba's Death-T."

"You're..." Yugi stared at him.

"Still coming with, Yuge." Jou swore, helping her get her grandfather out of the Battle Box and headed for the lifts only to get surrounded by goons.

"They'll take you grandfather to the ground level." Kaiba told the pair, "You two should get started."

"Three." The sound of Honda's voice made both Yugi and Jou jump, surprised he was here. They watched him leap over the railing and stroll over to the group, "The three of us should get started."

"Honda!" Jou grinned, patting the other teen on the shoulder. "Good to see you."

"When I heard there was a special guest taking on Kaiba's Greatest Challenge, I knew it would probably involve you two somehow." Honda replied, nodding to Yugi, who was clutching her grandfather's deck like a life preserver as she watched Kaiba's thugs carry her only living relative into the lift. "And like hell I was going to let the pair of you go it alone."

"Thank you." Yugi smiled up at him, nerves showing but anger clear on her features for the first time since Honda had met her.

"Well then, Yugi-chan." Kaiba gestured to a pair of huge double doors which had 'D-T 1' on them and were opening slowly, "Feel free to enter the first stage."

"You two don't have to..." Yugi tried but a look from the pair of them shut her up.

"We're coming with you and that's final." Jou told her in a no nonsense tone of voice, "Now, shall we?" He gestured to the doors, which had finished opening and led on to a dark tunnel.

"Sure." Yugi nodded, the energy of the deck in her hands pulsing like a heartbeat as she did so, "For Ojiisan."

With a nod from the others, Yugi took a step into the darkness.

  
  



	18. Round 1, Fight!

Yugi was nervous as she progressed up the pitch black corridor. The double doors slamming behind them had cut the friends off from any light sources, leaving them wandering blindly through the darkness.

"Stay close, Yuge." Jou's voice came from her right, "I've got you."

"That's my arm!" Honda protested, "Let go!"

Yugi couldn't help the giggle that escaped. Trust her friends to break the solemn mood that had been settling.

"That's your arm?" Jou continued rambling, "I thought...yow!" Jou yelped as the lights came on all at once. Yugi yelped and covered her eyes as she was flash blinded by the artificial lighting.

"ALERT! ALERT!" A mechanical voice screamed, aiding the disorientation by deafening them, "ALERT! PREPARE FOR INVASION!"

"Ow." Yugi complained covering her ears as she blinked spots from her vision and took in their surroundings. It looked like the corridor of some space ship from a sci-fi film. Pretty generic looking but it still set the scene well enough.

"That was uncalled for." Jou grouched as he took point, Honda covering their rear as they progressed forward, thankful that the booming noise seemed to died down a bit. "Still, we can't be too far from the start of this blasted..."

"Help!" A woman screamed as the doors at the end of the corridor opened, "Please help me!"

"Anzu!" Yugi darted towards the sound of the screaming, having recognised the voice and terrified that Kaiba had gone after her too, "Anzu!"

"Yugi!?" Anzu yelped, stepping out of the doors only to stare at the group in shock. "Jonouchi? Honda? What're you doing here?"

"That's our line!" Jou shot back, "Did Kaiba get you too?"

"Get me?" Anzu was confused, "I work here. I was hired yesterday."

"Hired." Honda deadpanned.

"I needed another job after the Burger World one fell through." Anzu retorted, "And this one pays well. I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Be here?" Jou snorted, eying up the costume she was wearing and the gun in her hands, "This entire place is one giant death trap for Yuge and 'Neesan."

"Wha...what?" Anzu yelped.

"Kaiba's Challenged me." Yugi explained with a sigh, her hand going to the Puzzle, "He probably didn't know you were my friend when he hired you."

"I didn't see Kaiba. Just his recruitment team." Anzu admitted, looking worried. "The first game's right ahead." She gestured into the room she had exited.

"Good, the sooner we win this the better." Jou grouched, entering the room and taking in the armour and guns as the others followed, "So what, laser tag?" He guessed.

"That's right." Anzu nodded, "This is a shooting match, three against three and the battle takes place on the electrical field behind this door." She pointed to a sliding door just beyond her as the others got changed quickly. "There's a sensor on the left hand side of the armour," She tapped the one on her own outfit, "If you get hit there, you'll feel a slight vibration and you'll be out the game. The first team to lose all its members loses." She looked over at Yugi, worried, "Be careful. Please?"

"I'll try." Yugi wasn't going to promise more than that. She didn't know the games Kaiba had planned and Challenge or not, couldn't bring herself to expect him to play fair.

"Yuge, hang back for a sec." Jou gestured for her to stay with Anzu, "Let me and Honda go first."

"I should fight too." Yugi protested, "This is my Challenge."

"Just let us scope the starting area out." Jou tried to reassure her, "I still think Kaiba's setting us up and us guys should go first... wait up." He chased after Yugi, who had gone for the door, reaching it just after her.

"I'll be fine." Yugi promised, hoping fate didn't make her a liar as she opened the door and glanced around the opening carefully.

When she couldn't see anyone she edged out into the room, closely followed by the boys, only to jump a mile when there was a long 'bleep' floor and the floor revealed itself to be reinforced screens when Kaiba's face appeared on every 'tile.'

"Hello again, Yugi. Welcome to Death T-1, the first game of the theme park of death." He looked too happy to be saying that, "The three enemies you're about to face are mercenaries I've hired especially for this game! If you're lucky, you'll die in a blaze of glory like a shooting star across the sky!"

"Listen up bowl head!" Jou snarled back, "Your games suck! We're gunna make it to the top!" Yugi nodded her agreement, determined to make it to the final round and defeat Kaiba with her grandfather's cards.

Kaiba didn't respond to Jou's attempt at insulting his park and just turned off the camera with one last parting shot, "Enjoy your last game."

"GAME START!" The mechanised voice bellowed.

The trio of teens fell silent at the announcement, edging forwards in a group carefully until they could secure a corner. Once Honda and Yugi had it covered, Jou, in an insane move, decided he was bored of waiting and climbed on top of the barricades.

"Jou!" Yugi hissed, trying to keep her voice down, "What're you...?"

"Now I've got room to fight." Jou proclaimed quietly. "Now, where are they?" He leapt from barricade to barricade as quietly as he could, looking for his opponents and crowing when he found one, "Gotcha!" He yelled as he leapt, the adversary going to shoot Jou's sensor only to get a boot to the head. "One down! Eep!"

Jou had to make a speedy retreat as the other two mercs took pot shots at him, his 'totally planned' diversion giving Honda a chance to shoot the sensor of one of the other mercs, only for nothing to happen.

"You okay, Jou?" Yugi asked, worried as Jou ducked behind their cover, Honda covering his rear. Honda didn't catch Jou's response as a laser glanced off of the shoulder plate of his armour and an electric shock erupted from the piece of equipment.

"Yugi! Jonouchi! We need to fall back!" Honda ushered Yugi out first, well aware that it was her Kaiba wanted to beat and that they were just collateral. Jou followed his lead, complaining as he did so.

"Why're we running away? It's not cool to show your back to the enemy." Jou complained as Honda pushed Yugi through the door back to Anzu's room and he headed in after.

"You guys aren't supposed to leave in the middle of a game." Anzu pointed out.

"It doesn't matter if we take a breather or not." Honda snapped back, "Kaiba's rigged the game."

Yugi wasn't as shocked as she wanted to be. She had suspected something like this would happen the whole time but she had hoped that he had at least learned something from his Penalty Game.

"These guns are useless!" Honda chucked his on the ground hard enough to crack the outer casing, "There's no way we can win!"

"Are you sure it's not just your gun malfunctioning?" Anzu asked, horribly aware that Oneesan would happily have Kaiba's guts for garters if he was cheating.

"Look." Honda shot one of the spare vests. Nothing happened.

"Try mine." Anzu offered, handing over the laser gun that had come with her costume. When Honda hit the sensor with the second gun, sparks erupted from the armour, electricity playing over the dummy holding it, burning it. Yugi and Anzu both paled as Jou started cussing.

"So we have one working gun." Honda scowled, speaking only once Jou had finished his tirade. He looked to Yugi, "What's the plan?"

"You're asking me?" Yugi yelped.

"You're the one being Challenged." Honda pointed out. "We're just the backup."

"We've got two enemies left." Yugi thought aloud, moving away from the doors and noting that her friends followed her lead. "But both of them are professionals." She frowned slightly, cross at both Kaiba for cheating and herself so not being able to think of anything. "We're not going to be able to outshoot them. We need another way."

"They're gunna be waiting for us the moment we walk out the door." Jou pointed out.

"Which means they're gunna see a trick a mile off." Honda grouched.

"Not necessarily." Yugi replied slowly, a plan formulating in her mind as she did so, "I have an idea..."

* * *

Kaiba was, admittedly, disappointed when he watched Jonouchi step out of the door to the 'safe zone' first. He had hoped a gamer of Yugi's calibre would provide some sport before his games destroyed her, yet it was her friends who were providing the entertainment while she cowered.

He wasn't surprised though when Jonouchi dropped his gun and put his hands up, a universal sign of surrender. It wouldn't matter. The professionals he had hired wanted their hit money so defenceless or not, Jonouchi Katsuya was going to die. It didn't bother Kaiba in the slightest. If anything it was a good thing. When Yugi realised that it was 'fight or die' she might put up the fight he was looking for.

Jonouchi's defection wasn't even a wrinkle in his plan. He had expected Yugi's friends to abandon her. Friendship was nothing more than a lie perpetrated by the masses to get others to do things for them. At the end of the day the only person you could truly trust was yourself. The moment things turned really dangerous, people looked out for number one as this proved.

Or at least he thought it did until Honda sniped the two professional hitmen from the safety of the entrance and took them both down with no trouble using the gun he had provided for the guide. Still it wasn't until Jonouchi turned to Yugi, who was looking relieved but a little ticked off, and high fived her that he realised that the blonde's defection had been a diversion, nothing more.

It had been a clever trick, Kaiba allowed. One the hitmen obviously hadn't been prepared for. He supposed he should have seen it coming himself considering that Jonouchi never left Yugi's side if he could help it. Still it was the unknown qualities to his adversaries that made the game interesting. Even an unbeaten Game Master like himself wasn't omniscient and it was the odd little things, like underestimating how much it would take to split up Yugi's party, that stopped the games getting dull and made them more of a challenge.

Still there were four more stages to his theme park of death and while he didn't expect the whole group would survive till the final stage, he had a strong feeling that Yugi's Other Self, the one Yugi and her friends referred to as Oneesan, would be there. Ready to face him with her grandfather's deck and ready to face the Penalty _when_ she lost. And she would lose, even with her grandfather's Blue Eyes White Dragon in her deck.

He had honestly expected to see the Other Yugi already. The 'normal' one always switched out with her when she was in a difficult situation. If anything he was vaguely insulted that he had yet to draw her out. Obviously his hitmen hadn't been enough of a threat for her. Perhaps the Horror Zone would do what they had not.

As he watched the quartet move forward into the next section of Death-T, he paid little attention to the ramblings of Yugi's guard dog. He might have found round one a 'piece of cake' but that was nothing in comparison to what was to come. Kaiba doubted that he would find a run in with Murderer's Mansion so easy to dismiss.

Of course they had to get there first...


	19. Fright Night

Yugi couldn't help but worry as she followed the goblin-like butler who was showing them towards the next attraction. The plan had worked, that was true, but not as she had intended. When she'd told the others the plan, it had been her who was going to go through the door and act as a distraction.

That idea had been discarded rather quickly by her friends, who hadn't wanted her to endanger herself. They had argued that since Oneesan hadn't even needed to make an appearance yet, her surrendering already smacked of a trap. Instead Jou had been the one to walk out the door to face down the mercenaries with deadly weapons while Honda covered his back and Anzu stayed between Yugi and the door in case something went wrong.

It had worked. She had been almost certain it would. They were professionals, she and her friends were just kids. There was no way that the pros wouldn't get overconfident, especially when faced with an unarmed opponent. She didn't doubt that Kaiba had bounties on their heads and they would have been focused on that rather than what was really going on around them.

It made her worried though. If professional hitmen had been part of the first 'game,' she almost dreaded to think what the rest of them were going to be like.

The creepy butler and the graveyard they walked into as they passed beneath the 'Death-T 2' sign weren't particularly reassuring. Neither was the sight of a rollercoaster carriage with five seats. She already knew Kaiba had planned on Jou being there with her. Now it was obvious that he had planned for her other friends being there too. Obviously Anzu being hired hadn't been an accident.

She warily took a seat on the ride, her friends following her example, expecting something to happen. When the butler took his seat and restraints shot out of the arm rests and base, arcing over their wrists and ankles, pinning them in the chairs. Fear coursed through Yugi as she tried to free herself, Jou's cussing not helping her panic as something fell into place on her head.

"Each of these seats are working electric chairs," The butler explained, "They've all been used to send criminals to their graves. If you lose, you'll follow in their stead." Yugi tried to settle herself as he talked, using the rules to distract herself from the rising panic, "It's really quite simple. If you make a single sound during this game, you lose. Of course, I'm bound by the same rules too."

That was something at least, though Yugi still expected him to cheat somehow. The games weren't fair after all. She wasn't even sure Kaiba knew _how_ to play fair anymore. As far as she could tell, his sense of decency had disappeared almost completely.

"And here we go." The Butler said, the last thing he said before the carriage started moving, following the tracks through the double doors and into a typical horror house ride. Yugi closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus on anything but the chaos around her. This wasn't too hard until a pair of hands extended from the seat she was strapped to and touched her shoulders.

The completely unexpected sensation nearly caused Yugi to scream in fright, just managing to damp down the reaction as her eyes shot open. She couldn't see the boys, who had taken seats in front of her, but considering that Anzu had extendable hands bothering her too, it was easy to guess that the boys were having the same issue.

The things leaping out of the darkness and the strange noises were easy to ignore in comparison to the mechanical hands, which seemed to be keyed to causing the biggest reaction they could. A lethargy not dissimilar to when Oneesan had taken control of her body when she had been taking the painkillers for her ribs, washed over her and she felt an odd sense of dissonance, as if everything wasn't happening to her.

The drowsiness helped her ignore what was happening. Anzu, however, was in trouble. Yugi glanced over at her friend to find she was moments away from screaming. She wanted to do something to help, but she didn't know what. There was nothing she could do and if she spoke up, she would die too.

Then there was sound from behind her, a surprised noise from the butler that was followed by a loud, agonized scream. A light erupted from behind her, along with a crackling sound that didn't bode well for the screeching butler. Then everything fell silent, the hands retreating and the surrounding sounds dying down.

The drowsiness retreated, Oneesan's presence slipping back into the Puzzle for now. Yugi was torn between relief that Oneesan seemed to trust that she had this in hand and worry because she was certain that Oneesan was probably a better choice to run this gauntlet than she was.

They pulled up outside a huge haunted house looking structure just as a disgusting, burnt smell wafted up Yugi's nose. The moment the restraints came loose she shot away from the carriage, relieved that Anzu and Honda seemed fine and refusing to look at the very back of the carriage. "Jou?" She poked her closest friend, only for the boy to continue drooling.

"You should leave him, Yugi." Honda snorted, "Looks like he passed out."

"I'm not leaving anyone behind," Yugi shook her head, shaking Jou until he woke up. "Hey."

"I'm okay." Jou put on a supposedly manly pose as he shot to his feet, relief crossing his features a moment later as he realized that the ride was over.

"You're also a wimp." Honda teased, "The girls toughed it out better than you did."

"Ah stow it, Honda." Jou flipped him off, before making the mistake of glancing at the chargrilled butler and hurrying the girls away from the carriage before they could see it too, "At least we all made it to… " He paused to groan as he read the sign above the door, "Oh, come on… Murderer's Mansion?"

"Kaiba wouldn't really put a murderer in there, would he?" Anzu hesitated.

"At this point?" Jou asked, "I'd believe he'd do pretty much anything."

"Well if he hasn't come bursting through the door yet, he's probably not going to attack us straight away and we can't get out of here if we don't progress." Honda reasoned, then decided that he was getting far too blasé about the insanity that was going on.

"I guess we're going… hey Yuge, wait up." Jou complained as Yugi headed for the door. This was a game, they had to progress to win. Standing around doing nothing wasn't productive. He caught up with her just as she opened the door to find that the interior of the building was dusty, dark and coated in cobwebs. To all aesthetic purposes it looked like it hadn't seen use in years.

Yugi knew better and was actually impressed despite herself. The amount of effort Kaiba had put into the settings for each of these rounds was incredible. The only real problem she had with the house was that there wasn't an obvious way to progress.

The door slammed shut behind them as Anzu and Honda followed them in and while Jou struggled with it, Yugi started searching high and low for the exit. Before too long her friends joined her but the only things that were out of place, was that there was no upstairs and there was a piece of paper with the word 'bllood' written on it.

"Hey guys!" Honda called from where he was stood by one of the walls, "I've found some switches." The other three piled over to have a look, each of them reaching through a hole to try and touch the switches.

In hindsight it was a stupid thing to do, because the moment all four of them had their hands in the holes, something snapped into place around their wrists, trapping them. Jou started cussing as Yugi quickly started taking in every aspect of their situation. She didn't have much time before a holographic projection of Kaiba appeared, floating in mid air. They had to turn to look at him, something that wasn't easy with one hand stuck in a wall.

"I was going to warn you that something horrible will happen if you don't escape from this mansion soon, but you seem to have landed yourself in quite the predicament." Kaiba gloated, "But before that little test of brains and luck kicks in, let me tell you a story."

"No thanks." Jou snorted, "We don't need…"

"Oh but I think you'll want to hear this one. About how last summer a ten scouts who were staying at a camp were murdered in one night. Not even a puzzle master could have put them back together, theny were mincemeat." Kaiba interrupted, "The press called the murderer 'The Chopman' but he was never caught. He was, however, recruited by me."

"Why would you…?" Anzu asked, horrified.

"Mazaki-san, cruelty is considered a benefit in Kaiba Corp." Kaiba sniggered, "We scouted him specifically for this theme park of death."

' _So specifically to go up against Yugi and Oneesan.'_ Jou thought with a growl.

"However I wouldn't like to be considered unfair." The CEO informed them with a smirk, "So I'm giving you a fair chance to get out of this mansion without running into him. Those holes your hands are stuck in have switches behind them. One of them is the one that gets you out of here, the others…" The wall slid up and a guillotine blade was revealed, "Will activate the blade and you'll all lose your hands. And if you don't figure out the right switch in five… sorry, four minutes twenty sev…six seconds, it'll fall anyway. There's a hint in this room. Good luck."

Jou started cussing all over again when Kaiba's hologram vanished. Yugi on the other hand tried to work out what the link between the piece of paper she had found and the numbers above the holes were.

'bllood' was the English word for blood, she was certain of it, but how did it match up to the numbers '00', '01', '10' and '11'? She remembered something she had overheard some geeky kids in school about binary being made of 1's and 0's but that didn't help her now.

Then it hit her. The word was misspelled, that had to be the hint, but what, she wondered what the importance of it.

"Come on Yuge." Jou half pleaded as minutes ticked by, "You can do it."

Her friends had faith in her, but she couldn't see the connection between the word and the numbers, it was escaping her grasp. She needed more time…

"Less than a minute." Honda nervously stated, checking the watch he could just about see on his wrist.

Apparently she didn't have it. There was something about the two ll's in the word blood, something she had only worked out because they had been using the word in English class just yesterday afternoon. But what was it? Unless…

"Yuge! The blade!" Jou yelped as the blade started falling.

"Anzu, hit your button!" Yugi yelped, praying she was right. Anzu reacted without thinking, having been waiting like a tensed coil for Yugi to tell someone to act. She hit the '11' and the blade stopped for a moment, before the chain it was attached to pulled it back up.

The moment their wrists were free, Jou wrenched his hand from the hole and picked Yugi up, crushing her in a hug. "You did it!"

"Jou…can't breathe!" Yugi gasped.

"How did you get it?" Anzu asked as Jou swiftly let go and Yugi took a deep breath of air.

"I was too focused on the meaning of the word to start with." Yugi admitted, "But it had to do with the shape. 'b' can be seen as '1' and '0', 'oo' as two zeros and 'd' as '01' but it isn't spelt with two l's so that was my first clue, then I saw the arrow on the bottom of one of the l's so I figured that the exit was in the basement."

Honda and Jou looked at each other as Anzu praised Yugi's ingenuity. Both boys were well aware that they would never have thought about a word like that in a million years. Without even having to say a word, the thought passed between them that if anyone had to progress to the end of these games, it was Yugi. If they lost her they didn't stand a hope in hell of surviving.

A panel in the floor slid away to reveal a trapdoor with 'exit' written on it. Yugi went to go first, only for Kaiba's warning about the Chopman to ring in Jou's head. Instead he pulled Yugi back a little so he could open it first and look around.

It looked like there was no one down there, so Jou slipped down first, helping Anzu and Yugi carefully next with Honda taking the rear. The corridor beneath the mansion was darker than the mansion itself, and it was difficult to see more than a few feet in front of their faces. Something that aided in the increasing paranoia that was taking a hold of them.

When an arm came out of nowhere and dragged Jou into a side room, the entire gang jumped a mile. Before they could recover a door had slid into place, cutting them off from their friend.

"Jou!" Yugi yelped, darting over to the door, which looked like a wooden prison door with bars in.

"I'm okay." Jou replied, sizing up his adversary. A huge jigsaw of a man that looked like he had been assembled from more than one person. Weapons hung from the ceiling, but Jou was aware that if this was the Chopman, his better option was to run, something that wasn't an option. Not with the door sealed and a chain attached to his wrist.

A screen appeared on the Chopman's chest with a visage of Kaiba on. Before he could say a word however, Jou opened with. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were into some kinky crap Kaiba. I mean seriously, you have an obsession with bondage." He held up his shackled wrist. "This is the third time in the last twenty minutes."

Getting the chance to make the jab was totally worth the glare he got from the CEO and the shocked 'Jou!' from Yugi. His confidence wavered though when he realized he was chained to the monster.

"It doesn't matter what you think." Kaiba growled, "You lot are all living pieces on my chess board and with this, I'll have captured the Knight. Chopman, feel free to destroy him."

"Oh fu…" Jou winced as the Chopman pulled a chainsaw down from the ceiling. "I have to get this off." He tugged on the handcuff, still trying to work out when he had gotten shackled in the first place and if it really was oil on the floor under his feet.

"Game Start!"

Jou let out a started yelp as the Chopman yanked on the chain and pulled him off of his feet. He narrowly managed to roll out of the way of the chainsaw, which lodged in the concrete pillar, giving Jou a chance to get away.

A flash of light over by the door caused Jou to glance in that direction in time to see Yugi blank out for a moment before coming to and yelling, "Jou! The candlestick!"

He darted over, grabbing it and taking the candle off, only to find that there was a small point he could use to pick the lock. Once he was free of the cuff he attached it and the candlestick to the door, with a lit candle still attached and when the Chopman finally freed the chainsaw from the pillar and attempted to yank Jou back over, he wrenched the door free.

Jou slipped out as the floor, which was in fact coated in oil, caught fire and the group sped away hastily. The room and the murderer within who was shackled to the concrete pillar and the door, was consumed by the flames.

"Don't look." Jou advised Yugi as she tried to turn and see if the murderer was following them, nudging her onwards instead. "Kaiba's brain with that guy's brawn might be a match made in hell, but you don't need to see him sent there."


	20. Rook Captured

Emerging from the dark, damp, spooky corridor into a bright, sterile one hurt everyone's eyes. It took them a moment to adjust to the light and get their bearings again. "There's the third game." Jou pointed out, his eyes the first to adjust to the new lighting levels. The others look to where he was gesturing to find the double doors with Death T-3 written on them.

"Good." Yugi murmured, her hand entering her pocket and pulling out her grandfather's deck. She could feel the pulsing of the energies within it slowing down and an urgency radiating from it. "We need to get out of here as fast as we can."

"Yugi?" Anzu asked, worried by the look on her face.

"These cards are linked to Grandpa's heart." Yugi tried to explain, "Here." She took Anzu, Honda and Jou's hands and put them on the deck.

"They're pulsing." Jou frowned, confused as he adjusted his hand on the deck.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Honda asked, pulling his hand away and glowering at them.

"Perhaps it's a magic thing." Anzu frowned as she pulled her own hand away. "That's why we can't feel it."

"So why's Jou sensing it?" Honda demanded.

"I've been in a Shadow Game." Jou waved it off, understanding Yugi's concern better. "That's probably why. Yugi's right, we need to move. Now."

The group hurried into the room, past the double doors, only for them to find that it was a perfectly square room and the doors slid shut behind them. There was no visible exits at ground level and the only hole they could see out of the room was ten meters above the ground. There was no way, even if they stood on each other's shoulders, they could get to it.

It was after Honda had fallen off Jou's shoulders attempting to do just that that Yugi spoke up.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled, sitting down heavily, "We're stuck."

"Don't think like that." Jou slumped down at her side, "We just have to wait for the game to start. Perhaps we're getting through them too fast for Rich Boy and he just can't keep up."

Honda and Anzu sat down too as Yugi pulled her knees up and rested her head on them while she listened to Jou and Honda debate video games. She had a feeling that Kaiba wasn't doing this because he wasn't ready for them. She was pretty sure he had somehow heard them say they needed to get through as quickly as possible and was now dragging it out. It seemed like something Kaiba would do.

"It'll have to start at some point." Anzu tried to reassure Yugi when more than twenty minutes had passed without anything happening and Jou and Honda's debate had trailed off into silence, "He wants to face you after all. He can't do that if you don't reach him."

"Yeah, and once Oneesan's Penaltied him into submission, we can go to the hospital and see Ojiisan." Jou grinned at her, his face falling when he realised that Yugi was shaking. "Yuge?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry everyone!" Yugi choked out, tears starting to flow as she slammed her fists against the floor, "It's my fault! If I wasn't here this wouldn't have..."

Yugi cut off midsentence as Jou seized her by the collar and gave her a rough shake. "Shut up." He snarled at her. "Don't you ever say that!"

"J...Jou?" Fear flickered across Yugi's face for a moment, causing the blonde to let go.

"Don't say things like that." Jou scolded her, though there was less of initial rage in his speech now, "You still don't get it, do you? Why we chose to come with you. It's because we're friends, Yugi." Yugi stared up at him as he wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "Honda, we've been such stupid punks."

"Yeah." Honda agreed, "We were stupid alright."

"Living in a stupid society, with stupid parents and my stupid self." Jou continued, "I never learned to like myself, until I met you."

"Wha?" Confusion replaced fear as Yugi tried to understand what her friend was getting at.

"You were this innocent little kid. Everyone took advantage of you. At first I couldn't stand to watch you, I thought you were an idiot but... I wasn't really mad at you, Yugi. I was mad at myself."

"I know how you feel." Honda admitted, "I was the same. I would get so wound up. I just needed to pick a fight, it didn't matter who. Some local punks, even a telephone pole. I'd hit them with everything I had. Then I'd realize, the one I really wanted to hit, was me."

"Yugi... you remember when I stole part of your Puzzle?" Jou asked.

How could she forget? Finding out she couldn't have her wish and would have to surrender to Ushio had been her first real taste of despair. Regaining that missing piece had been one of the best moments of her life, purely because of how her life had changed afterwards.

"When I gave you that back, you can laugh, but that took more courage than anything." Jou smiled slightly, closing his eyes as he did so, "But just then I started to like myself a little bit, for the first time in my life."

"Jou..." Yugi breathed, taking a step towards him, understanding that she was being allowed a view of a side of Jou and Honda that they had kept hidden from everyone.

"Listen to me, Yugi." Jou said, grabbing her shoulders again, but softly, "You know what friends are? There're someone you like! And because of them you learn to like yourself! That's why I hang out with you, Yugi! So if it hurts or whatever, let me share it, that's what friends are for!" He smiled softly, his posture changing as his voice lowered and his tone eased up, "I'm not giving up yet. So don't you give up either, 'kay Yugi?"

"O...Okay." Yugi nodded, a smile gracing her features for the first time since her grandfather had taken ill.

"No one learns to like themselves on their own." Anzu added in, having not wanted to interrupt the guys, "It's a big game you play throughout your life." She looked around, "This room kind of reminds me of a blank canvas." She said she looked around, "I always thought if I went somewhere special with my friends, I'd leave my name there to remember it." She grinned and pulled a magic marker out of her pocket. "Put out your hands everyone."

"What're you up to?" Honda demanded, confused.

"Just gimme your hands." Anzu sighed. The other three extended their hands and Anzu put her less dominant hand in the circle before drawing a single smiley face between all of their hands.

"What the...?" Jou yelped.

"Listen up. Even if we graduate and go our separate ways, if we're ever alone we just have to think of this smiley face and we'll remember being here and being friends. The marker my wear off, but in our hearts the ring will always be there.

"Yeah!" Yugi nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay." Honda and Jou nodded, grinning as they did so.

The sound of something moving above them caused them to look up. Something fell out of the darkness far above them and they had to leap out of the way to avoid being squashed.

"Guess Kaiba's done making us wait." Jou yelped.

"This is the game!" Yugi realised, "Death T-3 has begun. Be careful guys, here comes another one." Jou narrowly missed going squish as he leapt out of the way. Two more fell before Yugi let out a frustrated breath, "I can't tell where they're going to fall, it's too random."

"Then keep running." Honda advised.

"No!" Yugi got it as she climbed up to get out of a corner before she got stuck, "We've got to use them to get to the exit! Climb! And don't get cornered! Eep!" Yugi yelped as she only just escaped the hole in time to avoid the falling blocks.

"Hold on!" Anzu said, letting out a slow breath where the others were beginning to panic, "There's a rhythm to them. Maybe there's some rule to where they fall too."

"Rhythm? Anzu can you understand it?" Yugi asked hopefully, watching as Anzu closed her eyes and listened.

"There!" Anzu pointed to a spot and a block landed exactly where she pointed. "The cubes are following a simple dance."

"I get it," Yugi grinned, following Jou with a little assistance onto the third level of blocks, "The game is to complex already for the system, so they had to keep the falling pattern simple."

"Anzu, keep telling us where they're going to fall and we'll all get out of here." Honda grinned as they all made it onto the third level and a staircase to the exit started to form.

Four more blocks fell before Anzu let out a yelp, "Honda! Watch out!"

Honda moved off of his fourth tier block just in time to avoid getting squashed but he hesitated for a moment.

"Honda, are you okay?" Jou demanded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Honda nodded, though he was pale from his narrow escape.

"Be careful, the rhythm is getting faster." Anzu nodded as she got out toe exit, Jou close behind.

"Yugi, Honda, hurry up!" The blonde shouted down, glancing upwards, worried.

"Yugi, give me your hand!" Honda demanded, when Yugi slipped while trying to climb up the blocks which were almost as tall as she was.

"You go first." Yugi shook her head.

"Just give me your hand!" Honda snatched her wrist and dragged her up, "Jonouchi! Take Yugi!"

"Got her!" Jou nodded, taking the offered limb and helping Yugi out of the hole. "Your turn Honda, come on."

"This is as far as I go." Yugi turned to see why Honda sounded so resigned, only to realise with horror that the entire time he could have been shrugging off his jacket, part of which was trapped under a cube, he had been helping her get to the exit instead.

Jou darted towards the hole back into the block room but he was too late. A cube slammed down, blocking the way back. "Honda!" Jou slammed against the cube, trying to push it out of the way to little avail, "Honda!"

Anzu burst into tears as Yugi stared in shock and horror at the cube blocking them off from their friend.

Honda was gone, if he wasn't dead now, he soon would be. And it was because of her. It was because Kaiba wanted revenge on her and Oneesan. Honda didn't deserve it, neither had her grandfather. It wasn't fair that Kaiba had picked on them because he wanted to get to her.

He had to be stopped.

Yugi froze as she realised that the rage coursing through her wasn't just her own, darkness was encroaching on her vision and Oneesan was in a killing rage. If she lost control of her body now, her big sister would kill Kaiba and she would have no way to stop it.

She fell to her hands and knees as she tried to stay awake, mentally fighting tooth and nail to keep control of her body. Kaiba needed to be stopped but she couldn't let Oneesan kill him. The criminal in Burger World had been self defence, this would be murder, plain and simple. And there would be a crowd of people watching it happen.

"Yuge!" Jou hesitated to touch her as he watched the struggle, the illusion half up as Oneesan tried to seize control and destroy the teen that was systematically wiping out their friends and family, only for Yugi to push back, trying to protect Oneesan by refusing to let her fall to her dark desires.

With one last push, the illusion shattered, leaving Yugi exhausted but pleased with herself.

"Yuge?" Jou asked warily.

"I'm okay." Yugi replied, staggering as she got to her feet but distracted by the fact she could still feel Oneesan's emotions, which had moved from a killing rage to confusion laced anger - possibly because she didn't understand why Yugi had stopped her.

"What...?" Jou half asked, torn between asking what had just happened and not wanting to know.

"It's fine. She's calmed down now." Yugi tried to reassure her friends, semi distracted as she realised that the calm she had put on to reassure her friends seemed to be dulling Oneesan's anger further. She couldn't help but wonder if Oneesan couldn't hear her words, but was able to sense what her emotions the same way she could somehow now pick up Oneesan's. Or perhaps it was that Oneesan could hear her but the emotions Oneesan was picking up meant more.

She couldn't know without asking her and unfortunately she couldn't do that.

"We should move." Jou nodded, "If we manage to beat Kaiba before the blocks actually squash Honda, we might still get him out."

"Worth a shot." Yugi nodded, feeling determination surge from her other self, "Honda!" She shouted, putting her hand against the block and hoping he could hear her. "We'll be back for you. I promise."

There was no response and as Yugi turned away, she just hoped they weren't already too late.

  
  



	21. Rematch

Yugi wasn't feeling great as she stepped into the lift to the next game. Her little spat with Oneesan, while productive, had left her feeling drained and with a pounding headache. She wasn't entirely sure she would be fit for the last two games. It didn't help her mood that they had had to leave Honda behind. She hadn't wanted her friends to get hurt while helping her and now it was possible that Honda was...

Reassurance brushed up against her mind, though there were no words attached to the feeling. Moments later her headache eased up a bit, leaving her able to think more clearly, causing Yugi to wonder if Oneesan was helping her with it. Yugi pulled out her grandfather's deck and flicked through it, musing that it was the one good thing about the whole situation. They were finally awake at the same time, and even better, she could sense what Oneesan was feeling. It would be a good warning for what would tick her off. Not only that, but she knew, for certain, that if she had some warning, she could head off Oneesan's most vindictive games before they happened. With that fact proven, she felt the last of her fear about the spirit of the Puzzle slip away.

She kind of wished that they could talk properly, but this was progress.

"You okay, Yugi?" Anzu's concerned tone caused her to snap out of her musings.

"Yes. No. I don't know." Yugi admitted, "Honda... I didn't want..." She trailed off and the lift fell into silence for a while.

"He'll be okay." Jou seemed a lot more certain than Yugi felt, "I bet he'll show up out of nowhere after this is all over with some huge story about how he escaped."

"You really think so?" Anzu asked, seeming to take a bit of solace in the idea.

"Yeah," Jou seemed to be just as enthused by the idea, his tone becoming more excited as he went on, "It'll probably involve eight guards, six dogs, three guns and a dramatic leap off of a roof." The idea made Yugi giggle. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility, after all it sounded like something Jou and Honda would come up with together.

Jou's enthusiasm about Honda's future tales of his daring escape lifted Yugi's spirits. Just in time in fact. As the lift shuddered to a stop, Yugi pushed herself away from the wall and straightened her clothes. She had a funny feeling there were going to be spectators for the next two games and part of her was proud enough that she didn't want to look a complete state.

She was right, the wall of noise that hit them as they stepped out of the almost silent lift and into the packed arena which looked like a giant capsule monster board. As Mokuba stepped forward, Yugi understood what round four was going to be.

"Yugi!" Mokuba called, "This is a battle between you and me. Leave your friends where they are and come to the Duel Box alone."

"No way." Jou glowered at the younger Kaiba, "I'm not letting...Yuge?" Jou looked as Yugi in shock as the girl shook her head.

"No. Let me go." Yugi demanded of her friends.

"Yugi...?" Jou looked confused, as if he was trying to work out whether he was speaking to Oneesan or Yugi.

"It's okay." Yugi put her hand on Jou's arm, "I'm not alone anymore. My friends are with me, no matter where we are. And knowing that gives me courage." She smiled at him reassuringly, "And I..." Jou watched determination sink in, "I have Anesan. And between us, we can't lose."

Anesan. Not Oneesan. Jou realised. For the first time Yugi wasn't just calling the spirit of the Puzzle 'big sister' like the rest of the gang did, she was claiming the girl within her Puzzle as _her_ big sister, as part of her family proper.

"I'll look after Anzu then." He took a step back, nodding to Yugi, who gave him a determined grin, then closed her eyes. Jou watched closely as the illusion settled over his friend, making her appear taller, adding blonde highlights to her hair and he just knew that when her eyes opened, they would be ruby red instead of the amethyst purple he was used to.

When they reopened, it was Oneesan looking out of them and she seemed, if not happy then pleased, causing Jou to wonder if she understood the importance of what Yugi had just said too.

"Anzu. Jou." She smiled at both of them, "Don't worry. I will win." With that she stepped forward, ignoring the cat calls from the crowds, who didn't think she stood a hope in hell. The moment she stepped into the Battle Box and the door slid closed, the noise from the outside world vanished, leaving her and Mokuba.

"Yugi! Congratulations on making it to level four. Too bad the others were just a warm up." Mokuba sneered at her.

"Pft." Oneesan left out an irritable and exasperated sound, "You again? Haven't you learned your lesson, brat?"

"Oh, so good of you to finally join us, Oneesan." Mokuba smirked, having hoped to be the one to draw out the spirit of the Puzzle. "I'll let you have a clue, since you're so late to the party. The final floor, the one where my brother's waiting, is above us. I'll let you use the elevator in the unlikely chance that you win."

"So when I beat you, I can move on to destroying him." Oneesan nodded her understanding, mentally wincing as she felt her little sister's disapproval of her plan for Kaiba.

"When? You don't stand a chance." Mokuba sniggered. "And when you lose here, you'll die..." He gestured behind her. Glancing back, she saw that her friends were now being threatened with guns. "As will your friends."

"Anzu! Jou!" Oneesan's hands balled into fists as her rage spiked, her mood only worsened by the fear she could sense from Imoto-chan. She wheeled around and glared at the younger of the Kaiba brothers, holding herself in check only because she was in the middle of a Challenge and Imoto-chan didn't want her to kill anyone. "Mokuba! You little...!"

"Yugi!" Jou shouted, Oneesan reacted without thinking, turning to look at him, "Don't worry about us! Just kick his butt at his own game!" For a moment Oneesan watched her friends, silently wishing the two goons would spontaneously catch on fire, then she nodded and turned her attention back to the game.

"Game on, Oneesan." Mokuba smirked at her, "Death T-4! The competition this time is..." The holoboard below them lit up, projecting a 3d copy of the board on the table between them, "Capsule Monsters but this time we'll be playing up here and it'll get projected onto the board below. For example..." Mokuba placed a high level and a low level monster on the board. The high level monster destroyed the lower level one in short order and in graphic detail. "And of course for the loser there's a Penalty, the Experience of Death."

That was what all of this was about then, Oneesan realised. This entire mess, the heart attack Kaiba had given her grandfather, Honda's demise, it was all because Kaiba hadn't been able to learn from the Experience of Death she had cast upon him when he had stolen from her? It didn't matter. She would defeat this brat at his own game and then she and Imoto-chan would stop Kaiba's rampage, using their grandfather's deck.

"Pull your capsules, Yugi." Mokuba smirked, "Then I'll pull mine."

"You really are a fool, Mokuba." Oneesan snorted, pulling her capsules and seeing, as she had suspected, that they were all low levels. "Remember what I did to you last time for fixing the game?"

"You won't do anything now." Mokuba returned, confidence overflowing as all his capsules came out at the max level, "Not with your friends in danger and hundreds of people watching. Now, place your creatures and let the carnage commence."

Oneesan scowled. With the levels this different it was next to impossible to see a way to win. Surprisingly, at least to start with, it was Imoto-chan who recognised the potential of one of their creatures if they could reach the evolution space, which would level up her monsters by enough to give her a fighting chance.

The moment it came to mind, a plan fell into place and, grateful that Imoto-chan had been awake to see it, she placed her monsters on the board.

"Wait, you're clumping all your monsters together?" Mokuba asked with a laugh, "Yugi, you suck!" He gloated as he put out his own pieces, "All right, Game Start."

With that the holographic monsters appeared on the board below them.

"Woo! They're starting!" The crowd was loud in their excitement... they were also loud in their boredom when Oneesan didn't make any moves for the first few turns. Mokuba on the other hand took it as a sign of her surrender and started gloating continuously as he wiped out two of her five pieces.

Even when she finally started moving her pieces, long after it looked like it would be game over in a matter of turns, he didn't realise she actually had a plan until her little level two squid like monster blew itself up to take out one of Mokuba's critters. He lost two more of his pieces when Oneesan's mole avoided a rolling attack by digging underground, causing his two creatures to mutually destroy each other.

Even then he still didn't get it until he realised there was nothing between Oneesan's little level two caterpillar and the evolution space, which would change it into a level five beast.

The beetle the caterpillar became destroyed another of Mokuba's creatures, leaving the boy with only a giant ape on the field. With both creatures at level five, they should have tied when they fought, but it was Yugi's beetle that vanished from the field, leaving her poor little level one mole all alone on the field with the great dirty ape.

The mole, it's 'dig' ability used up, surfaced on the virtual battle field with a look of terror on its face as it faced down its demise. The monkey merely smirked as it raised its foot to stomp the much smaller critter.

Then there was a 'crack' that echoed through the stadium and Mokuba watched in horror as the, for some reason, delayed results of its battle with the beetle took effect, causing the ape to shatter into pieces and winning the game for Oneesan.

"But... I was winning." Mokuba stared at the board in horror, confusing Oneesan a little. She got to her feet, able to hear the crowd who had been shocked that a girl could beat the Capsule Monsters champion as well as Jou's boasting about her in response.

"I'm leaving, Mokuba." Oneesan said as she reached the door to the lift to the final floor.

"Yugi, wait!" Mokuba yelped, shooting to his feet, panic obvious. Oneesan didn't understand why he was freaking out. She wasn't going to cast a Penalty on him for cheating; she had bigger fish to fry. So why did he sound so frightened? "I...I won't believe it! There's no way I could lose!" His protests sounded feeble though, "All my monsters were stronger! I don't..."

She wanted to explain it to him, that strength didn't always mean everything. That sometimes, if you pushed the right buttons, those you considered weaker could be stronger than you could ever believe. But he wouldn't understand and she didn't have time to explain it. Not with the way the energies of the deck in her pocket were weakening and not when every second that passed was one second less Honda had, if he was even still alive.

Instead she stepped out of the box and started for the lift only to pause as the screens above the battle box came on and Kaiba's face filled the screen.

"Yugi!" Kaiba was smirking, "Good job. I've been waiting for you and I've gotten bored of these amusements. Take that path to the elevator and rise to the final stage."

"I will! Don't go anywhere!" Oneesan snapped at him, able to feel Yugi's anger alongside hers, their emotions mingling and becoming one and the same in places, "You'll get your game alright!"

"S...Seto..." Mokuba trembled, fear and shame obvious as he looked up at the screens on the walls above the crowds.

"I've felt your pathetic, clinging loser's gaze staring at my back for years." Kaiba dismissed him, "I keep tell you, you play with fire, you'll get burned."

"O...Oniisan..." Mokuba whimpered.

"You understand don't you?" Seto demanded, "Only the winner is allowed out of the battle box. The loser faces a Penalty! That's the law of Death-T!"

"N...No!" Mokuba yelped, backing up against the glass as the mirages of monsters formed. "Not 'the experience of death'!"

Oneesan wheeled around when Mokuba screamed, freezing as she realised that Kaiba was putting his own brother through the same Penalty that had caused her grandfather's heart attack. He did deserve a Penalty, he had cheated after all, but they were family. Did Kaiba want to destroy his own brother that badly?

Imoto-chan's heart ached for the boy. She was still convinced that the Kaiba brothers could be saved even now. Oneesan could feel Yugi's desire to intervene but she wasn't sure it was right. The Rules were in place and Mokuba had cheated and lost. But still... it didn't feel _right_.

Acting before she really thought about it, she darted forward, grasping Mokuba's hand and pulling him out of the battle box. Mokuba stared at her, uncomprehending when he could see past the holograms and realised it was her who had dragged him out of hell.

"Wh...Why did you save me?" Mokuba asked, still watching her with a blank expression.

"Sometimes you shouldn't ask why. You should just accept help when it comes; even if you don't want it." Oneesan informed him, "After all, without the help of my friends I wouldn't have made it here."

"F...Friends?" Mokuba stammered, collapsing to his knees.

The spirit of the Puzzle could see he needed time to process and the shock of what had just happened blocked him from learning anything right now. So she left, leaving the boy behind and entered the lift, nodding to her friends before the doors closed and the ride to the final round began.

As the goons with guns were distracted by the crowds piling upstairs, Jou took the opportunity to pickpocket one of their phones and ring the hospital. When Hanasaki answered, it wasn't good.

"He's in emergency surgery." The sickly boy had been rescued not only from Sozoji by Honda and Oneesan, but the boy had also ran afoul of some gang members while pretending to be a superhero and Oneesan had rescued him then too. He felt like he owed the Mutous something, so being at the hospital now, when Yugi couldn't be felt like he was repaying his debt a little. "Don't tell Yugi, at least not yet, but... the surgeon says there isn't much hope."

Jou's heart shattered. Ojiisan was the only adult in his entire life that hadn't given up on him at some point. Who had accepted his gang past and that he could change. And who had allowed him to live in his home when it had become obvious that living with his father wasn't going to work out long term.

And there wasn't much hope?

"I see..." Jou let out a heavy breath, knowing he needed to keep the information from Yugi and Oneesan if they were going to be able to focus on the game with Kaiba, "Hanasaki, stay there and keep watch."

"I will." The boy promised just before the call dropped.

"How is he?" Anzu was almost too afraid to ask at the look on Jou's face.

"It's...not good." Jou admitted, trying to shield at least one of the girls for now as he tried Honda's number. "And Honda's not answering either." He let out a frustrated growl, "Things can't get much worse."

"Well..." Anzu took a deep breath as the goons ushered them into the lift to watch Yugi's final battle. "At least we can be here to watch over Yugi."

"At this point it's all we can do."


	22. End of the Road

' _I can't ever forgive him.'_ Oneesan thought to herself as she rode the elevator to the greatest battle of her new 'life' to date. _'Not after everything he's done to my friends, my family and most importantly to Imoto-chan.'_

Reassurance brushed over the link as Imoto-chan tried to calm her furious older sister. The ancient ex-Pharaoh took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Imoto-chan was right to try and calm her mind. While she was justifiably angry at the blackmailing, lying, cheating, stealing prick; going into this final game without a clear mind was a bad idea. Especially considering he was the World Champion at the game they were going to be playing and Kaiba had already defeated the deck she was going to be using.

She could sense Yugi relaxing slightly when she turned her mind from the hurts Kaiba had caused those most important to her and brought her attention to the task at hand. It amused her that after her win against Mokuba, some of the crowd who had migrated upstairs were giving her more of a chance against a Game Master like Kaiba.

Not much more and she looked forward to proving the doubters wrong...but more of a chance none the less.

There wasn't a battle box here on the final floor, instead there was a table set up with a chair on either side of it. Holographic projectors encircled it, bar the small pathways into the battle zone.

"Yugi!" Kaiba smirked at her from what was obviously going to be 'his' chair. "Welcome to Death T-5! The Final Battle you'll ever fight!"

Oneesan wanted to snarl at him for goading her, but the mental equivalent of Imoto-chan's hand on her shoulder reminded her that she shouldn't rise to the bait. Instead she calmly walked towards the table and stood next to her own chair.

"Heh heh. Words mean nothing to us anymore." Kaiba commented as he shuffled his deck, "What will decide our fate is the cards."

"All right." Oneesan agreed, pulling out her grandfather's deck. _'With Ojiisan's deck and faith in the cards, Kaiba will pay for what he's done.'_ Oneesan mentally pledged.

' _Little Yugi is tougher than I expected.'_ Kaiba thought as he watched the girl before him shuffle her deck. He had expected her to resort to switching with her 'oneesan' back during the first game. He was actually kind of peeved that he hadn't managed to force the switch, but took pleasure out of the fact that his pathetic little brother hadn't managed it either. Little Yugi had 'stepped aside' to allow her older sister a chance to take part.

Now as they cut and shuffled their opponent's decks, he was almost sorry that he would have to kill them both when they lost but that was the cost of defeat. The Blue Eyes White Dragon little Yugi had managed to rescue from his clutches earlier stood no chance against the trio resting in his deck and there was nothing else in the stack of cards he was handing back that was even a vague threat.

"Duel!" The pair spoke in the same moment. The crowd roared in anticipation.

"Ladies first." Kaiba smirked at Oneesan.

"Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress!" Oneesan called, "In attack mode!"

The fourteen hundred attack point blue dragon appeared on Oneesan's side of the field, floating just behind and to the right of her.

"Hitotsu-me Giant!" Kaiba crowed, summoning his giant Cyclops. It didn't stand a chance against Oneesan's dragon, exploding with a pained bellow into about a million little shards of light.

"Your giant is gone, Kaiba," Oneesan smirked slightly, "And you lose two hundred life points." She knew better than to assume that the entire game would be that easy but the illusion of confidence was one she wanted to maintain.

She got lucky during the next turn. Though her monster had the same attack points as Kaiba's, as her dragon could fly it managed to dodge the attack and blast away Kaiba's creature.

Of course how the percentages, which were easy to work out while using a computerised system, worked in the physical card game was beyond her.

Kaiba wasn't phased in the slightest as he placed Saggi the Dark Clown in defence mode. Saggi's defence points were too high for the Winged Dragon to bypass, so Oneesan threw a monster in defence mode herself, trying to build up a bit of a wall before Kaiba drew one of the his Blue Eyes White Dragons.

Of course Kaiba saw right through it and started knocking down her wall on the very next turn using a combination of Saggi and the equip card Dark Energy, which tripled the attack power of its target.

Oneesan lost 400 life points to its attack on her dragon and despite her best efforts, continued to lose monsters to the powered up clown.

"I'm disappointed Yugi." Kaiba gloated as the crowd outside started jeering, "I don't even need my Blue Eyes to destroy you." Kaiba chuckled vindictively, "But then what do you expect with the deck that _failure_ of an old man left behind? I can hear the gasps of his dying breaths echoing from the cards!"

Oneesan let out a low growl, glowering at the young CEO for a moment, before her eyes moved down and rested on the deck in question. She could hear her grandfather's heartbeat resonating from the cards and he had begged her to defeat Kaiba with his deck.

She reached for the cards and felt the power within them shift, the cards themselves as ticked off at Kaiba as she was.

"Do you trust your cards, Kaiba?" Oneesan asked as she drew, "Because I believe in mine, and," She smirked as she saw what she had pulled, "My faith rewards me, with the Dark Magician!"

The 2500 attack point Dark Magician, which Kaiba hadn't seen in the last duel, appeared with a flourish. The holographic magician blew away Saggi without a second thought before hovering behind Oneesan and watching Kaiba like a hawk. For a weird moment, Kaiba was almost convinced the humanoid duel monster was waiting for him to make a wrong move so it could blow him to pieces.

"Well, well." Kaiba looked almost impressed, "I suppose the deck of a Game Store owner would have a decent card or two." He allowed.

"You can't predict this Duel." Oneesan smirked back, something within her singing at having the Dark Magician at her side; the same something that warned her off of putting Kaiba out of commission permanently.

"Heh, don't get arrogant." Kaiba grinned slightly, amused and enjoying the challenge, "I _know_ how this will end! It's my turn!"

He drew, then let out a loud, vaguely evil cackle, "Blue Eyes!" He called as he summoned one of his three powerful beasts, "Destroy that mage!"

"No!" Oneesan yelped, watching in horror as her Dark Magician was destroyed by the light spat out by the great beast.

"Yes!" Kaiba was delighted, vindictive joy expressed in every inch of his posture, "You're finished, Yugi! I still have two more Blue Eyes White Dragons in this deck!"

Kaiba's proclamation looked more and more likely as his dragon blew away defence card after defence card, leaving her with a handful of incredibly weak cards that wouldn't help her in the slightest.

And when he summoned his second Blue Eyes of the game, Oneesan was all but certain that she was done. There was just nothing she could do against the fire power that the dragons provided Kaiba.

Even the reassurance that Imoto-chan was trying to offer did little for the former Pharaoh and spirit of the Puzzle. Oneesan could sense it was false. Her younger self was just as worried as she was.

Oneesan closed her eyes, trying to think of something, anything she could do to turn the duel around. The deck pulsed with energy as she did so, the heartbeat she could hear from it speeding up slightly.

' _Ojiisan,'_ Oneesan realised, her eyes opening as she did so. _'I have to believe I can win - for his sake.'_ She drew.

"Swords of Revealing Light!" She proclaimed, delightedly placing the card and watching Kaiba's victorious smirk turn to an irritated scowl.

"You're beginning to annoy me." Kaiba growled at her, glowering at the holographic swords of light that pinned his two dragons and prevented him from making any attacks for three turns. "Still, since I can't attack, I'll place this card in defence mode and end my turn."

Three turns. She had bought herself three turns. And in those three turns she _had_ to draw both the Blue Eyes that Imoto-chan had somehow called to her earlier and work out a way of making it stronger than Kaiba's pair.

When she drew another low level, low power spellcaster monster, one that looked like an arm, rather than one of the cards she needed, she let out a frustrated hiss. The limbs in her hand didn't help her. In two more turns, if she couldn't work out how to turn this around, she was going to lose. If that happened Kaiba would activate his Penalty and unlike the ones she cast it was very unlikely that they would ever recover from it.

She didn't even know if there was a way to boost Blue Eyes' attack within the deck. Her grandfather played primarily dark monsters and the dragon was a creature of light which he had only used for one duel. With only two turns left before Kaiba destroyed them, they didn't have time to mill the deck and find out either.

It all seemed so hopeless.

' _Yugi.'_ Oneesan straightened slightly as she heard Ojiisan's voice whisper to her Imoto-chan, her attention turning inwards temporarily to listen to it.

Within their shared mind, Yugi was stood in the corridor between their minds, defeat etched into her posture. She knew her grandfather's deck like the back of her hand and she knew Oneesan was drawing for a miracle that didn't exist. Ojiisan's trump card had no back up in his deck because he never played it. In fact he never played games in general any more unless it was against her; something about him having retired.

"Yugi." The younger sister jumped and wheeled around at the sound of the unexpected voice, coming face to face with her grandfather.

"Ojiisan?" Yugi breathed, confused as to how he had gotten into her mind, then silently praying he hadn't died and become a ghost.

"Yugi," He nodded in response, his tone scolding slightly, "You've given up. That's not like you."

"But what can I do?" Yugi asked, her voice soft, just above a whisper as her eyes turned towards the floor, "In just two turns..."

"Yugi." The gently reassuring tone caught Yugi attention just as effectively as the hand under her chin that tilted her face up so she was looking at him, "Not too long ago, you were suffering. Remember how you got over that time?"

"Huh?" Yugi blinked at him for a moment, confusion crossing her features, "The Puzzle," she realised, hugging the item to herself as she did so, "I completed the Millennium Puzzle."

"Mm-hm," Ojiisan agreed with a wry smile, "You put each piece of the Puzzle in place. You didn't give up. You believed in yourself and you completed the Puzzle, even though it took you eight years."

"Yup." Yugi nodded though she wasn't sure where her grandfather was going with this.

"The cards can be like a puzzle too." Ojiisan informed her, "You just have to find the right pieces." With that he faded from the corridor, leaving a confused Yugi behind.

"The cards can be a puzzle?" Yugi frowned, trying to think quickly, "When are they like a...?"

"Exodia!" Yugi and Oneesan spoke in the same instant, realisation striking them both as a memory of a discussion Yugi had had with her grandfather regarding it just the previous morning, came to mind. "Ojiisan's deck contains Exodia!"

"Stop stalling Yugi, and draw." Kaiba snarled at Oneesan only to get more annoyed as he realised that she was blanking him.

' _Three!'_ Oneesan mentally grinned as she checked her hand, _'I have three of the five pieces in my hand!'_

"Yugi!" Kaiba snapped, "That's enough! Either make your move or forfeit! Stop stalling!"

"Stow it Kaiba!" Oneesan snapped back, her attention caught by the obnoxious CEO, "I'm ready now." She drew, relief coursing through her as she drew another Exodia piece. Just one more and she could get herself and Imoto-chan out of harm's way.

Kaiba hadn't failed to notice her change in attitude though. He almost welcomed it. Though her hope was like a candle flickering in the wind, it would make the victory all the sweeter to erase the last light she carried.

Instead he drew and passed his turn, watching as anguish warred with joy as 'Oneesan' drew her next card.

"Blue Eyes!" She called, summoning the monster that little Yugi had somehow summoned out of his hands just before he had gone to rip it in too. The beast appeared with a frightening and impressive roar, glowering down at Kaiba as if it knew what he'd wanted to do.

His own dragons roared back in response, unafraid of the 'traitor' in their midst even as it blew away the Judgeman.

"Last turn Yugi!" Kaiba smirked as he drew, summoning his third and final dragon, "And on the next turn all three of my dragons will attack together. Even your beast can't stand up to three Burst Streams of Destruction! And when it falls so will you!"

Kaiba was right. Her one dragon, as much as she believed in it, wouldn't stand a chance against his three and as the swords faded away, she was left with this one chance to change her fate.

She needed to draw the final Exodia piece and she needed to do it now. She wanted to have more faith, it was possible after all, but there were forty cards in a deck, the odds of drawing the exact one she needed were stacked against her.

"Draw your last pathetic card, Yugi." Kaiba snarked.

She reached for the deck hesitantly only to feel the power within it shrink away from her, causing her to retract her hand. Was it that the deck hated her for doubting it? Or was it her own fear? Making it seem like the deck was further away from her than it actually was?

Reassurance and support washed over her as she realised she was afraid to draw the next card. Imoto-chan was there with her and, she realised as she finally paid attention to the marker on the back of her hand, so were the rest of her friends. She wasn't alone as long as she had them. They would never abandon her.

Determination surged through her. As long as she had her friends, she wouldn't give up. She would fight to the last card.

She drew.

Imoto-chan's excitement and delight melded with and increased her own as they stared at the card she had drawn.

"Ojiisan's deck has no pathetic cards, Kaiba," Oneesan proclaimed, smirking slightly as she anticipated the prat's reaction, "But it does contain the unstoppable: Exodia!"

"What!?" Kaiba yelped as she threw the cards down, the holographic projectors reacting already to her call. "No, it's not possible!" He watched in horror as the creature that was but a legend in the Duel Monsters community took shape. No one had managed to summon it before, no one had ever collected the incredibly rare cards that made it up.

"Rage Inferno! Exodia Flame!" Oneesan ordered, taking a vindictive pleasure in destroying the boy after everything he had done to them. She could sense that Imoto-chan didn't entirely approve but the girl's relief and joy at emerging victorious was overwhelming the 'you shouldn't enjoy this as much as you are' vibe Oneesan could sense.

Kaiba's three dragons exploded in spectacular fashion, disintegrating into tiny little pieces, leaving the teen shell-shocked and staring at her uncomprehending. "M...My Blue Eyes White Dragons!"

"You dragons were powerful, but even weak cards can join together and can create an infinite power that can overwhelm any enemy," Ojiisan's dragon swirled around Oneesan, nodding towards Exodia who just glowered at Kaiba, "It's over Kaiba! I win!"

"No! This...this can't be happening!" Kaiba protested, shaking his head.

"And for the loser a Penalty Game! It's time to pay for your crimes!" Oneesan snapped, ignoring Kaiba's attempt to retreat from the table. His own rules stated he had to suffer one and she was not about to let him slip through her fingers without learning his lesson a second time, determined to remove the evil from his heart and turn him into the ally she knew he could be, "Penalty Game! Mind Crush!"

There was an audible shattering sound and Kaiba slumped in his chair and Oneesan rose from hers.

"I've destroyed the part of your heart that was filled by evil." Oneesan explained, though she doubted he would comprehend her words for a long time, "Goodbye Kaiba."

The noise as she stepped out of the almost sound proofed box was deafening. People cheering and calling her name as they realised that their champion had lost and the girl before them now stood in his place.

She didn't care about that though. What held her attention was the sight of a certain pointy haired brunette stood with Jou and Anzu.

"Honda!" Oneesan darted over, delight obvious. The much taller teen grinned at her in response, giving her a thumbs up.

"Well done, wish I could have seen it." He replied, nodding slightly.

"Guys..." Oneesan looked around the group of friends, "Thank you."

"Any time." Jou grinned at her. Anzu glanced away from her friends long enough to see Mokuba watching the four of them with a look akin to envy.

"Mokuba?" She asked, "Why did your brother go to all this trouble? Why plan all this revenge?"

"My brother wasn't always like this." Mokuba admitted, "It all started with a chess game." As Oneesan listened to Mokuba's tale of woe, she began to understand how Kaiba had been warped into the person he had been. That one chess game, which he had cheated to win, had been the start of his downfall. Kaiba Gozaboro, who had adopted the two brothers, had destroyed Kaiba in order to make him into his own image and had been the one to teach the elder brother that defeat meant death.

"Mokuba," Oneesan spoke softly as Mokuba wiped away the tears that tumbled down the younger brother's cheeks, "Right now your brother is picking up the pieces of his heart in the darkness. Reassembling the shattered puzzle of his heart, piece by piece. This time, he won't make any mistakes."

"I'll get my brother back?" Mokuba asked her, hoping to hear good news.

"Yes. Someday, when he completes the puzzle he will return." Oneesan nodded, glad to be able to fill the younger brother's heart with something besides hate and revenge. Especially after the boy had rescued Honda from the falling blocks in Death-T stage 3.

"I'll wait for you forever." Mokuba promised his brother before turning to the guards. "Take them to the hospital." He told the confused looking goons as the gang turned to leave. "And Yugi?"

"Yes Mokuba?" Yugi asked, having taken back over and smiling at the younger brother gently.

"Thank you. Both of you."


	23. Game Grief

Yugi didn't need much coaxing to come and settle at her Grandfather's side as he settled on the sofa, happy to leave Jou to cook something that was resembling food more and more with every meal. She cuddled into him, relaxing as he hugged her. She had been tense for days after Death-T, still partly convinced that everything that had happened was her fault. Even now, a week and a half later she sought out their company, silently enjoying what had nearly been ripped away from her, but didn't join in their games and laughter. Tonight was no different.

It was almost, Sugoroku mused as he watched the frustration crossing Jonouchi's features when Yugi didn't join him in playing for yet another night in a row, as if she didn't think she deserved to have fun. Instead, she sat out, watching as he completed yet another chapter of some video game

It hurt to see her like this. Watching her regress into the quiet, shy little mouse she had been pre-Puzzle was painful. He missed the happy, energetic girl she had become over the last few months.

It was partly his fault she had withdrawn so far. When they had gotten to the hospital, he had still been in emergency surgery and the Doctor had told Yugi the truth of his condition. A condition that had been brought on by Kaiba's 'Penalty Game.' He had emerged from the surgery whole and healthy, feeling much better than he had for a while even, but the damage had been done.

Yugi had barely left his side since. He didn't think he could blame her. He had been just as terrified about losing her as she had about losing him. He had been so afraid that she would not make it. That Kaiba's malicious games would rob him of the last remaining member of his family. He did not think he could have survived it if he had had to return to the Game Shop, knowing that Yugi was never going to come home.

To know she was safe, that she had made it through the trials she had taken on purely to ensure his safety, eased most of the remaining stress on his heart and made breathing easier. Now if he could just mend her heart, his own would be just fine.

He had tried to reassure her that it wasn't her fault. That he didn't blame her for Kaiba's actions. He had even offered to help her merge his deck and hers into something new, just for her. However she had turned him down, just handing the deck back and shaking her head. A first sign, maybe, of the state she had spiralled into.

He couldn't help but wonder what the Pharaoh thought. Whether the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle was as frustrated as Yugi's other friends or whether she felt guilty about what Kaiba had done too. It wasn't like he could ask his other granddaughter. Not without something happening to Yugi to make her come out.

He was sure that given the right impetus Yugi would be okay but he couldn't help but worry. He wasn't quite sure what to do to fix the problem. Normally he would have offered her a game or two from the store to help lift her mood, but he did not think it would help. Not when he didn't have anything new to encourage her curiosity.

Not till tomorrow at least. He was pretty sure that the new game that was due to arrive in store would at least get her playing again. She wouldn't be able to help herself. She never had been able to resist the latest releases. From there he was sure her friends could draw her out of her shell once more. Despite their frustration he could see that they only wanted to help her.

Yugi retired to her room early again, leaving a ticked off Jou and a worried Sugoroku behind.

"If she were a guy I'd've smacked her by now." Jou huffed, irritated as he watched her go. "It wasn't her fault Kaiba was a psycho and the sooner she works that out the better."

"I have a plan." The elderly gamemaster reassured him, smiling slightly at the confirmation of his suspicions. "Just give it a little longer."

"I hope it works." Jou replied, shutting down the games console as he did so. "Can I help?"

"Actually you're kind of vital." Sugoroku chuckled lightly, "Got something new coming in tomorrow. I'll be giving you and Yugi freebies."

"But Yuge's not playing..." Jou paused, curiosity kicking in, "Wait, how new?"

"Brand new release. Out for sale tomorrow." He informed the teen, amused by the way the thought of a new game had derailed the blonde.

"That could work." Jou nodded thoughtfully.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

 

Oneesan let out a soft sigh as she opened the right hand drawer on the desk only to find that her little sister had yet to make a move on the goban. The Go game they had been playing had come to a complete standstill after Death T and the spirit of the Puzzle found she missed it.

She knew the others were frustrated at Imoto-chan. She couldn't blame them. However she half understood where her little sister was coming from. Imoto-chan was well within her rights to be frightened after what had happened. Giving up games entirely wasn't the answer though. Her little sister was only making herself unhappier by giving up the one thing that had always kept her in high spirits even during 'the bad times.'

There wasn't even a letter in the drawer for her this evening. There had been one every night before Kaiba had had them kidnapped, but those too had been coming less and less often over the last week and a half.

The first one after Death T had thanked her for her help and been an apology for dragging her into that mess. She had replied with a note reminding her little sister that she had been the one who had Challenged Kaiba in the first place and caused his fixation, but it was obvious that Imoto-chan didn't believe her. Now it looked like communications between them were about to dry up completely.

She cursed the fact she couldn't just talk to her other self. She was sure that if they could just talk it over, Imoto-chan would stop beating herself up over something that hadn't been her fault. But she still hadn't worked out how to do more than send emotions over their basic, telepathic bond, and that was no way to have a proper conversation.

Shockingly, she actually wished Shadi was around. With his Millennium Key, she would have been able to meet her little sister face to face and had the conversation she felt that Imoto-chan needed. Unfortunately, and she never thought she would use that word, the 'Guardian of the Millennium Items' had fulfilled his oath and vanished from the city.

She snatched a bit of paper off of the desk and settled down to write. Just because Imoto-chan wasn't writing to her, didn't mean she couldn't write back and it was the only method she had of sending words rather than feelings to her little sister.

It was difficult, putting what she wanted to down on paper. She wasn't used to actually discussing what she was thinking and feeling. She didn't need to during Shadow Games and she felt more comfortable allowing their friends to see only what she wanted them to see. They looked to her for help and reassurance and bravery. Not for what she thought and felt. That was Imoto-chan's purview.

Still she managed it, though it took her three attempts and a lot of crossing out before she had put exactly what she wanted to say down. Trying to reassure Imoto-chan that she was the bravest, brightest girl she could possibly know. That what had happened wasn't Yugi's fault. It was hers. She had been the one who had Challenged Kaiba, she had been the one who had brought his wrath down on their heads and she had been the one who had been warned about his revenge and not done enough to stop it.

And she made the one offer that frightened her more than anything else in the world. Offering to go away for good if it would make Yugi pickup games again without worrying about anyone coming after her because of a Shadow Game she had played. She didn't want her little sister to be unhappy, she didn't want to have to watch as Imoto-chan returned to the shell she had been hiding beneath when she had completed the Puzzle.

She was terrified of the idea of returning to the darkness, but if it would let Imoto-chan walk freely in the light again, instead of jumping at Shadows, she would do it.

She was nervous as she put the letter in the drawer. If Imoto-chan took her up on the offer, this would possibly be her last evening free from the darkness and pain that had held her Before. She had had to make the offer though. Her actions had hurt Yugi. By all rights, she should keep her word and smash the Puzzle herself, but she couldn't do it. Part of it was fear, but part of it was that if she did it without explaining herself to Imoto-chan, she was frightened that her little sister would think that she had done it herself by accident or that Oneesan was abandoning her.

She felt like she should do something. Go play something or hang out with Jou or spend time with Ojiisan. Imoto-chan was asleep already so she wouldn't get her answer tonight and she didn't want to waste what could possibly be her last evening, but she was at a loss.

Instead she slipped out the window, going for a walk. The world could be changed the next time she 'woke up,' if she woke up at all, and she didn't want to go away without enjoying the fresh night air one more time.

She wasn't far into her walk before she realised she was being followed.

The spirit of the Puzzle wheeled around to try and catch sight of her stalker, wondering if Jou had seen her leave and followed. Or whether some fool thought she was an easy target for a mugging attempt.

Instead she caught sight of a flash of long, white hair vanishing into a nearby alley. She darted after it, only to feel the Shadows surging before she could get there. By the time she could see down the alley, whoever it had been had vanished into thin air.

She frowned as she examined the alley, trying to see if she could get a trace on the Shadows the stalker had used. There wasn't anything left for her to track. The Shadows that had surged were completely gone.

The spirit of the Puzzle let out a frustrated huff as she turned for home. If there was someone with the power of the Shadows running around, she didn't want to attract their attention and bring them down on Imoto-chan's head. Especially not while she was waiting for her little sister's decision.

The presence of another Shadow wielder in the area made her offer dangerous. Especially if this one was anything like Shadi. She didn't feel she could retract it though. She had sworn to leave if she hurt her little sister and now she had to let Imoto-chan decide whether she wanted her to go, even if it worked out badly.

She slipped back into the flat silently and hesitated by the drawer. Unsure whether to add a note about the unknown presence to the letter, she sat on the desk chair and considered the letter carefully. Imoto-chan needed to be warned. Even if she still decided to smash the Puzzle, it wouldn't be fair to leave her without that warning. Part of her was worried though.

If she alerted her little sister to the other presence in Domino and Yugi chose to let her stay only because of it, it would hurt. A lot. On the other hand if Imoto-chan still wanted her to go she would at least know to watch out for the stalker. In theory she would be safer without the Puzzle. Imoto-chan had almost no access to the Shadows without the powers of the Item that held Oneesan's spirit. So she shouldn't draw the other wielder's attention.

Except she had already caught the other presence's eye.

Oneesan let out a heavy groan as she tried to work out the best thing to do. Gang members and thieves and attempted murderers were easy to deal with in comparison to the complex puzzle that was trying to keep Imoto-chan happy and safe.

All of this would be so much simpler if they could just TALK. Just sit down, face to face and hash this out until they had come to a decision that was right.

An idea came to mind. She didn't want to rewrite the letter. Instead she pulled out another sheet and added a postscript to it. She didn't beg forgiveness. That wasn't the point. She did, however, alert her little sister and offer to, if Imoto-chan was willing, to stick around only as a body guard. To only come out of the Puzzle when Imoto-chan thought she was needed or she needed protection. With the ability to share emotions, it wouldn't be hard to set up something that would allow it to work.

She wanted to be friends with Imoto-chan and the others, but it was obvious that her presence was dangerous to their ongoing wellbeing. If she only came out when she was needed, when there was no other way to deal with the problem, then perhaps she would draw less trouble down on Imoto-chan's head. She wasn't happy with the idea, but making the offer herself hurt less than if Imoto-chan had made the choice on her own.

She left both sheets poking out of the drawer so Imoto-chan would know to check in the morning. Then she took one last look around the room, curled up in Imoto-chan's bed and retreated to the maze of the Puzzle to await her fate.

* * *

 

Yugi was surprised to see two sheets of paper poking out the drawer at her when she woke up the following morning. Anesan wasn't one for long winded letters. In fact sometimes Yugi was sure the spirit of the Puzzle only replied to keep her happy rather than because she wanted to. So to see two sheets of paper confused her.

Her confusion only increased when she saw that instead of the usual bad handwriting that littered the normal letters, her big sister had obviously taken time and care in getting down what she wanted to say.

Yugi settled on the bed with the pair of sheets, able to hear Jou and her grandfather moving around the shop, but too curious about what her big sister had been so careful to write to pay attention to it. It didn't help that for the first time since Death-T, nothing of the Pharaoh's emotions were slipping through their bond. Even when the spirit of the Puzzle was asleep, Yugi could feel she was there in the back of her mind. Right now there wasn't even that, it was as if Anesan had shut a door between them, blocking her off and causing Yugi to worry as she started reading the first page.

' _Dearest Imoto-chan,_

_You've been through so much since you completed the Puzzle and I'm sorry to say that a large portion of it has been my fault. Despite that you've faced down every problem you've been presented with with a great deal of bravery and I have been proud to hear from the others how you've come out of your shell._

_I feel embarrassed to admit that you defeated me during Kaiba's games. I would not have realised what you did about the 'bllood' note, nor would I have come up with the idea of mock-sacrificing one of us in order to get past those assassins during the first game. You are a bright, sharp teenager and I hope that you continue to grow into an intelligent and courageous young woman.'_

Yugi blushed slightly in disbelieving embarrassment. Anesan thought she was smarter than her? That wasn't possible. Was it?

' _I wanted you to know that what happened with Kaiba wasn't your fault. I'm the one to blame. When Kaiba stole Ojiisan's Blue Eyes White Dragon I could have stopped him. I chose not to. I chose to let him off with only a 'light' Penalty. When his brother told me about Death-T I had another chance to hunt him down and prevent it from happening, or to prepare myself to defend your friends and family. I didn't do either. I allowed my overconfidence to drive me and you nearly lost too much because of it.'_

Anesan blamed herself? Even though Yugi had been the one who had attracted Kaiba's attention in the first place by bragging about her grandfather's ultra rare card?

' _My actions, or lack thereof, have caused you too much grief. Shadi would not have attacked you if it wasn't for me. Mokuba wouldn't have been seeking vengeance and Kaiba wouldn't have nearly killed Ojiisan or Honda if I hadn't drawn their fire first. Because of all the people seeking to Challenge you because of Shadow Games_ I _have played, you've now given up the one thing that kept you going before everything got better. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry my actions have driven you to that point._

_I have hurt you, both through what I have done and what I should have done. This is unforgivable and I now find myself looking to fulfil an oath that I made just after the criminal attacked Burger World.'_

Yugi frowned slightly. What oath? Jou had told her that Anesan had promised that she would never harm her or her friends, be he had not told her about any oath she had made.

' _I didn't want to do so without letting you know first. Know that I would never want to abandon you, nor if I do this, is it through any fault of yours. However, I swore to Jou that if I ever harmed you I would smash the Puzzle and send myself back.'_

The girl's eyes widened and she let out a sharp gasp. Anesan wouldn't. Would she? Yugi didn't want her to. If her big sister did, she'd complete the Puzzle all over again, no matter how long it took.

' _If getting rid of the threat of my Shadow Games will encourage you to play, have fun and actually enjoy life again I am more than willing to do just that. To send myself back into the darkness. You're more important to me than anything else in this world. And if fulfilling my oath will make you smile properly again, I will go happily.'_

No. Losing Anesan wouldn't make her happy. How could she be happy again knowing that one of her friends had given themselves to the Shadows to make her smile? She couldn't let her Other Self do this. It wasn't right.

Yes she was frightened of people coming after them because of something her big sister had done, but the spirit of the Puzzle never started the problems. She only ever tried to teach those who attacked them a lesson. It wasn't Anesan's fault that people wouldn't leave them alone.

' _I don't expect you to smash the Puzzle. You're too kind. I don't mean to sound rude, but I don't think you could do it, even if I asked you to. However if you want me gone, I'll do it myself. Just let me know.'_

Her big sister was right. She could never condemn Anesan to the darkness. No matter how much the spirit of the puzzle might believe she deserved it. She refused to allow her Other Self to throw herself to the Shadows.

Besides Anesan wasn't the one who had hurt her. She might not have moved to stop Kaiba, but she had not encouraged him in his madness either. Nor had she given him the idea to go after Ojiisan. Plus she had done everything in her power to help them get through the trials he had put them through.

' _No matter what you decide, I'll always be proud of you,_

_The Spirit of the Puzzle.'_

She needed to tell Anesan that she didn't blame her and she didn't want her to go. She didn't want to lose her big sister and Yugi was _**not**_ going to let her fulfil her Oath.

She moved to the second page, wondering what it was if the letter had concluded on the first page, only to find a much more hastily written postscript awaiting her.

' _p.s. I went for a walk after writing the first page and I found out something that I feel I should warn you about.'_

Anesan wanting to warn her about anything made her nervous. There wasn't much her big sister was afraid of, so if she was being warned about something, it was really bad news.

' _While I was walking around town I attracted the attention of a stalker. Considering our problems with reporters and fans since we beat Kaiba, I wouldn't have been concerned, except when I tried to find out who it was, they vanished on me via the Shadows.'_

And that was a scary thought. Another Shadow wielder running around Domino. Considering her last run in with another item holder had left her unconscious for days she didn't fancy her chances of fighting this new foe.

' _In light of this, I would like to offer my services as a bodyguard. It would mean that I was only out when you decide it's necessary and or when I need to get you out of harm's way, however I could protect you from any malignant Shadows users in the area.'_

Yugi frowned. She didn't just want a bodyguard, she never had. Her wish had been for friends. Friends who could rely on her and her on them. She wanted to be Anesan's friend, not her charge.

Besides if her big sister started only coming out when she was in danger, the others would miss her. That much was obvious. All of them had been worried during the week after the game against Mokuba when they hadn't seen hide or hair of Anesan. She had visions of Jou getting her into trouble just so he could knock some sense into her Other Self. He wouldn't let her get hurt, but she could see him doing it.

' _If I knew who this new presence was, I would have sought them out to ensure that they didn't mean you any harm. However for now just know that as long as you wear the Puzzle, I can and will protect you and your friends to the best of my abilities.'_

Yugi had never suspected that she would do anything less. Not after their meeting in the soul rooms.

' _All I know about the other Shadow holder is that they have long, white hair, so keep your eyes out. Who knows, they might not be a threat, but until we know for sure, please be careful.'_

That was certainly her plan. She didn't want to land her friends in trouble or end up out cold for three days again. Postscript over, she put the sheets underneath her pillow, where Ojiisan wouldn't find the potential threat and headed downstairs, trying to work out how to phrase her reply to her older sister.

She needed to tell Anesan that she didn't want her to go but she would need to put it in a way that wouldn't have the spirit of the Puzzle thinking that she only wanted her around to protect her.

"Morning Yuge!" Jou grinned at her as she entered the kitchen, somehow managing to balance a stack of seven pancakes on his plate.

"Morning." Yugi smiled back, remembering that part of why her older sister had thought it was better if she was gone was because Yugi wasn't smiling anymore. When Jou's grin widened at the sight of it and he turfed over a trio of pancakes, Yugi realised that her older sister hadn't been the only one worried.

She wasn't very hungry. Her appetite had been sporadic at best over the last week or so, but the three pancakes disappeared quite rapidly and she had to talk Jou out of providing more. By the time she had managed it, Ojiisan had come upstairs with a couple of packages.

"I have a present for you two." Sugoroku explained as he place the two boxes on the table. Yugi couldn't help the curiosity that spiked when she saw the words 'Monster Fighter' were written on them. She didn't notice that Jou was watching her as Sugoroku informed them, "It's brand new, only come out this morning. I was hoping you two would test them out."

"At school, like always, right Ojiisan?" Jou asked, pleased when he saw Yugi reach for one of the boxes, only for frustration to seep in when her hand pulled back at his words.

"All advertisement for the shop is welcome." Sugoroku nodded, passing one of the boxes to his granddaughter.

Yugi considered the game in her hands as Jou practically ripped the box apart to see what was inside and how it worked. She wasn't sure that it was a good idea for her to play games in public, but she couldn't stay away from them forever. Not only did it make her miserable, but it was obvious that it was making everyone worry about her.

Not only that but Ojiisan wanted her to do it to raise interest in the shop. There was no way she was going to disappoint him.

She opened the box to find the game was quite simple, you got one 'fight platform' and one monster. Your platform would attach to the platform of another player and you could battle your monsters using the attack buttons on the handle. When you 'stunned' your opponent's monster you could pull the trigger and perform a special move that would win the match.

She wasn't a big fan of fighting games, but this looked like fun and she could easily see it raising a lot of interest, especially since it looked like there were about fifty monsters to collect.

"Sure, Ojiisan." She smiled at him and was rewarded when she noticed that some of the strain in his features eased, "How many do we have in? People are going to ask. They always do."

"Twenty in this shipment, another forty in the next on Saturday, though I can increase the order if it's too popular." Ojiisan chuckled, pleased his granddaughter had a head for this sort of thing, despite how spaced out she could be.

Yugi made a mental note of the figures, hoping that would be enough for now. Sometimes she and Jou took games to school and they didn't take off, other times the whole school went nuts for them and she was pretty sure Monster Fighter would be part of the latter group.

It turned out she was right. She barely got a moment to think about how she was going to respond to Oneesan's letter between all the people asking about the new game. It wasn't until she retreated to the school library, that she managed to catch some peace and quiet.

She had not been here since the fortune teller had tried to squash her and Jou and she stayed well away from the stacks as she tried to write a note. People had been by her Grandfather's shop during the lunch break, so people were bothering them about where they'd gotten their monsters from instead of her, which allowed her time to think.

Unfortunately before she could get a couple of words down on paper, one of the seniors came over.

"Mutou-kun?" The senior asked her, causing her to look up from her letter.

"Can I help?" Yugi asked, confused as to why he wanted her unless it was for questions about the game.

The senior gestured towards the door where a boy with two tone hair was watching her. "Nagumo wants to talk to you."

"He can come in." Yugi blinked. "Everyone's allowed in the library."

"Not him. The librarian's banned him for a week." The senior shook his head. Yugi sighed and started collecting up her stuff. "Oh, Mutou-kun? Be careful. I've heard that Nagumo steals stuff from lower years."

"Thanks for the warning." Yugi nodded, trying to 'knock' on the mental door between her and Oneesan as she moved into the hallway. "Nagumo-kun?" She asked the other teen.

"That's me." He replied, "I wanted to talk to you about Monster Fighter."

"I don't keep spare stock with me." Yugi looked apologetic, "If you want one, you'll have to..."

"Don't worry." Nagumo grinned at her, "I have one already." He showed her, "I just wanted to play. I'm slowly working my way around everyone who's managed to get one so far."

Something wasn't quite adding up as they went to an empty classroom, out of the way of the other students milling around, and Yugi frowned as she visualised 'knocking' on the metal door again.

"Everything alright, Mutou-kun?" Nagumo asked.

"Fine." Yugi replied, mentally huffing as she didn't get a response and wondered if her big sister was avoiding her.

"Shall we then?" Nagumo pulled his fight platform out of his bag. The monster looked familiar but Yugi was too busy being frustrated at her Other Self to work out from where. It wasn't until the fight had started that Nagumo spoke again. "Oh by the way I play with a house rule." His tone caused Yugi to turn her focus from her creature to the other player, "If you lose, I get your monster."

"I don't think so." Yugi pulled her platform away from Nagumo's. "Get your..." In that moment she realised where she had seen his monster before. It had belonged to one of the kids who had darted out to the shop during a off period and missed part of his next class.

Nagumo was on her in a heartbeat, lashing out with lightening speed, his fist connecting with her temple, sending her painfully crashing into the desks behind her and causing her to lose her grip on her platform. Oneesan's presence rushed back into her mind as Yugi dizzily tried to pick herself up, anger obvious.

Yugi felt herself shift out of control, surprised when her mind cleared up the moment she lost access to her body. She mentally winced as Oneesan's movements were sluggish enough that Nagumo managed to get in another blow. This one winded the Pharaoh and giving the older student a chance to get away.

Yugi sensed her elder sister hesitate for a moment and sent reassurance. She felt Anesan sluggishly respond, concern wobbling across the link. Yugi sent back what she hoped was confidence and retook control, able to easily slip it away from her dazed but angry Other Self.

Curiosity stumbled over the link as Yugi headed for their form room where Jou and Honda were waiting for her. Yugi, who was sore but slowly regaining her mental faculties, had a plan. She needed both Jou and Oneesan's help for it, but she had one.

The moment she stepped into the form room, her friends knew something had happened. Anzu tried to fuss over her, but Yugi shook her head, making her a little dizzy and nauseous. "Jou, can I borrow your Monster Fighter game?" She asked him.

Jou nodded, confused, but handed it over. Yugi shot back out of the classroom, ignoring the fact that Jou was following as she felt her elder sister's curiosity turn to confusion. Yugi mentally grinned as she tried to 'drag' Anesan into control, sending approval over the link as she did so.

Oneesan took control, still confused. Was the approval because of something she had written or was Imoto-chan approving of the fact she was going to Challenge Nagumo and try and get back the games he had stolen?

She got Nagumo's location from a couple of the other seniors milling around and managed to corner him by the school swimming pool, which was due to reopen any day now.

"Hey Nagumo." She taunted, smirking at him, still trying to work out what it was that Imoto-chan was approving of as he turned to stare at her. "I've got another one, want to try and win this one?"

"Piece of cake." The thief grinned at her, having the audacity to use the monster he had stolen from her earlier to fight against her.

"This is a Shadow Game by the way. Best of three." Oneesan informed the boy, as she had to make things fair. "If I lose, you get my monster. If you lose, I get to take back all the monsters you stole."

"And resell them in the shop. Smart, Mutou-kun." Nagumo chuckled. "Fine, I'll play."

Oneesan didn't bother correcting him. She could half tell that her little sister planned on returning the stolen goods to their owners, but she had to win them back first. Perhaps this was what Imoto-chan approved of. This was something the girl couldn't do on her own. She needed her help in order to help others, at least this time.

Perhaps this was the idea, working with Imoto-chan to fix problems when they came up against them. Her doing the fighting and Imoto-chan doing the healing afterwards.

Oneesan took the first round easily, shocking Nagumo who had thought that someone like Mutou wouldn't know how to fight. Then he got a taste of the difference between the normal version of Monster Fighter and the Shadow Game version as it felt like the blow that knocked out his monster had contacted with his jaw too, leaving it feeling like it had been cracked.

He refused to take any chances during the second round. Nagumo took advantage of the fact Oneesan was trying to complete a combo that would stun his beast to lash out, kicking Oneesan in the side and completing the 'special' move while she was recovering, her monster flying out of the ring and a trio of blows contacted with her chest. Oneesan was grateful for the leather armour she was wearing under her uniform, as it protected her from the worst of the blows, even if they still winded her.

For the final round she upped the 'level' of the Shadows surrounding them, having been playing nicely up to this point since Imoto-chan was watching. However she could sense her little sister's disappointment but lack of shock at Nagumo's cheating and the Shadows were already crowing for his soul.

She wouldn't feed him to them, but she was going to make sure he didn't get away. As they fought the final round, he tried to lash out again, only to find that his legs were trapped by the various things he had stolen over the course of the last couple of weeks, and his distraction gave Oneesan the opening she needed to finish his beast off.

Nagumo was left sprawled on the floor as Oneesan and Jou collected up the fight platforms and monsters that had been in Nagumo's things.

"You alright?" Jou asked, concerned as he watched his friend, who he had seen her go down during the second round.

"Yes, don't worry." Oneesan reassured him, still slightly confused over Imoto-chan's reactions, before retreating into the Puzzle and leaving Yugi in control.

"Come on Jou." Yugi smiled at her friend, kind of hoping that she'd proved that Oneesan didn't have to give up the Shadow Games if she didn't want to. Or that she needed to seek Yugi's permission for everything. She knew that her other self had been planning on gaming Nagumo, it had been obvious from her darker self's anger. She just hoped that helping her find a route to do so, had shown that Yugi didn't want Anesan to hide away, just as her older sister hadn't wanted her to close herself off. "Let's get these back where they belong."

She still had a letter to write, after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, got distracted by NaNoWriMo. On the plus side I've finished another book in this series. :)


	24. Dragonfire

Yugi was still trying to work out how to phrase her letter when she got home from school. She had been attempting to think about it all day, but returning the stolen games hadn't helped her steadily increasing fame amongst the student population. Instead she was more popular than she had been this morning.

"Oooh, post!" Jou grinned, pouncing on a letter addressed to him and tossing Yugi a couple of envelopes. Yugi was about to open her post when Jou let out a delighted whoop and spun her around the shop until she was dizzy.

"Jonouchi, I would appreciate it if you didn't make Yugi sick." Ojiisan scolded, his tone only half serious as Jou swiftly let go and Yugi stumbled slightly before leaning on one of the glass cases.

"Sorry, but you remember that application I put in for 'Get the Million?' You know, that game show that's really popular right now?" He asked, a huge smile on his face.

"How could we forget?" Ojiisan asked, "You coloured it in with every colouring pencil we own and a few I didn't think we did."

"Well I'm on. They're letting me play!" Jou crowed, "I'm recording at the end of the week!"

"That's great." Yugi smiled at him, still dizzy but pleased for her friend and able to sense Oneesan's pleasure at Jou's good luck too.

As Jou started babbling about everything he was going to do with the money when he got it, Yugi started restocking the shelves. The store looked like it had been busy over the course of the day. Monster Fighter hadn't been the only thing to fly off the shelves by the looks of it.

In fact it continued to be busy right up until about five minutes before closing when one of the other teens in their year, one Yugi had returned a game to earlier in the day, entered the shop looking nervous.

"Imori-kun? Right?" Yugi asked, curious about the package in his hands.

"Ye...yeah." Imori nodded, "You're Mutou-kun?"

"That's right." Yugi encouraged, "What've you got there?"

"I wanted to..." He put the package on the counter, letting them all look at it. It looked like a jar and a box, tied with string and with a piece of paper with kanji attached, "Well you know games, right?" Yugi nodded, "I was hoping you could tell me what this is and maybe we could have a gam..."

"No." Ojiisan's firm and unyielding denial confused Yugi, who turned to her grandfather to find that he was glowering at the package.

"Ojiisan?" Jou asked, confused.

"I've heard about this." Ojiisan explained, "This is an ancient game called Dragon Cards and you must not break this seal!"

"Why?" Yugi asked, confused considering that he didn't discourage Oneesan's game and they were certainly dangerous.

"Because they were created by a Taoist master as a test for his students. Their final test. They use the energies of the heaven and nature. The cards are currently in balance, the dark energies of the cards are balanced by the light energies of the seal."

Yugi blinked, wondering if her relationship with Oneesan was something similar.

"If this seal gets broken, it will create a warped power and disaster would fall upon you and anyone around you." Ojiisan warned, "In fact I've heard rumour that these Dragon Cards once ruined countries. You must never, ever break this seal."

Imori nodded, though Yugi wasn't sure of his sincerity as he fled from the shop. She had other things to worry about though and as she made her way upstairs, she finally felt Oneesan waking up after her earlier game.

Immediately she mentally 'budged' her older sister, catching the spirit's attention. Confusion coursed over the link as Yugi imagined hugging her other self. She honestly didn't know how to tell her what she wanted to say or how to say it, but her big sister was staying and that was that.

Perhaps, she decided as Oneesan settled back down a bit, the idea wasn't to think of anything complicated to say. Instead she should just do what Oneesan had done, write down exactly what she was feeling and just let her older sister make up her own mind.

She settled down to do just that after dinner, making a move on the goban before she put the letter in the drawer and crashed out on her bed, reading until she fell asleep.

* * *

 

This was it then, Oneesan thought as she awoke to find a letter tucked into the top right hand drawer of her little sister's desk. This was what she had awaited all day. Imoto-chan's response to her letter.

She warily made her way across the room, watching the letter like one might watch a bomb or a feral cat. Her little sister had seemed to want her around earlier, but anything could have changed in that time. The only reassurance she had was that Imoto-chan had seemed to encourage her when she had wanted to Challenge Nagumo for his earlier actions.

She took the sheet in hand and settled back on the bed, wondering what her littler sister had decided. No matter what it was, she would accept it, even if she didn't like it.

" _To Anesan,_

_DO NOT SHATTER THE PUZZLE!_

_I SWEAR I WILL JUST REASSEMBLE IT AGAIN, EVEN IF IT TAKES ME ANOTHER EIGHT YEARS!"_

Oneesan smiled slightly even as she was surprised by the emotion she could read in the messy penstrokes and the obvious speed at which it had been written.

" _You haven't hurt me, so you don't need to fulfil your oath to Jonouchi. You may not have moved to stop Kaiba, but you didn't encourage him to go after Ojiisan. Nor were you the one who told him that he could strike our friends to get to us. He did those things all by himself. If anything I was the one who lured him in the first place by bringing up Ojiisan's really rare cards._

_The thing with Shadi wasn't your fault either. I am the one who brought us to his attention. If I hadn't asked him questions, he wouldn't have been curious about me or found you."_

Oneesan let out a soft, slightly sad sigh. She should have known Imoto-chan would try and turn the blame back on herself.

" _You say that I defeated you during Kaiba's games, but I'd like to remind you that it was you who came up with a way for Jou to escape the Chopman and you who helped me stay calm enough to get through that horror rollercoaster unharmed. Without your help I wouldn't have gotten through those trials. I didn't say thank you before, so I'm saying it now._

_Thank you._

_Not just for all your help with Death-T, but for everything you've done for me since you've awoken. I know I can be a challenge to deal with sometimes. I'm not overly smart or sensible and I tend to look before I leap, but you've helped me out at every opportunity, even when I was frightened of you and what you could do. You gave me a chance to get to understand you and to understand why you do what you do._

_You're just trying to protect me and my friends and for that I am truly grateful._

_I also want to thank you for your offer to play bodyguard for me, but I'm afraid I have to decline."_

Oneesan blinked at that. Imoto-chan didn't want her to protect her?

" _It's not that I don't trust you to protect me and my friends, but I was under the impression that that was something friends do, without having to have a name for it or stay away from the group when you're not needed to watch over someone._

_And I thought... no I hoped, that we were friends._

_If I've misread the situation please tell me and I'll correct my assumptions, but if I'm not wrong, than please know that you're one of my closest friends, despite the fact we can do little more than share emotions over a wavering link and play games together._

_The others would miss you too if you decided to stay in the Puzzle more often than not. Jou enjoys attempting to beat you at every opportunity and I know Anzu actually enjoys helping you understand more about the current age than she lets on. Honda too enjoys spending time around someone he can just be himself around. I'm not sure he even feels that way about me yet."_

The others would miss her? A month ago she would have doubted it. Now, however, she could easily see it. The group of friends was a tight knit bunch and they had been going out of their way to ensure that she had been included in their antics.

" _I'm sorry I haven't really been a good host the last week or so. I realize now that I've been hurting you and worrying my friends and Ojiisan by going silent and refusing to play games purely because I was afraid of drawing anyone else down on our heads._

_It's a concern that I still have, but I understand now that doing so wasn't helping anyone. It was just making everyone miserable and I'm sorry._

_Please don't smash the Puzzle or withdraw from us. I'm fine now. I just needed to get my head back in the game._

_By the way, check the drawer, it's your move and I'm winning,_

_Yugi."_

Oneesan smiled slightly as she read the last lines. Imoto-chan's response hadn't been what she was expecting, that was true, however she was pleased it was what it was. She wanted to be considered amongst Imoto-chan's friends and to read that her little sister had considered her a friend before now was reassuring. Even if she doubted that her little sister actually was winning the Go game that they were playing.

When she checked the drawer, however, Imoto-chan was proved to be correct in her statement. She was in fact winning. By quite a margin.

Oneesan smirked as she considered the board. She always enjoyed victory more when it was a challenge to earn it and it looked like her little sister was going to be providing just that. Still the game wasn't over yet and just because Imoto-chan was winning now, didn't mean Oneesan was out of the running yet.

"Alright, Imoto-chan," She murmured to herself as she started her turn. "My turn."

* * *

 

"We could get rid of him if you want." Jou offered having been irritated by Imori, who had met them at the school gates. He had wanted to play a game but since they were running late, Yugi had to shrug him off. Imori tried to encourage her to play with him between classes too, only for her to be running late or in the middle of something. The final attempt had come just before lunch when he blocked her exit as she left maths and practically demanded that she and him played with the Dragon Cards only for her to get rushed past by Jou and the others. "Honda and I are still pretty good at the scaring people thing. Wouldn't even need Oneesan to Challenge him to a you-know-what."

"Thanks but no thanks." Yugi replied as she tried to work out why her towel had escaped her P.E. bag and put her books away in her locker for the rest of her classes. "I don't want you two to get into trouble for bullying and Imori will learn eventually, I'm sure of it. In the mean time I'm just going to ignore him. Now where's my…eek!" Yugi let out a started squeak as someone shoved her from behind and she ended up in her locker. "Jou? What…?" She started turning around only to trail off when the door slammed shut behind her, trapping her inside. "Jou! This isn't funny!"

"Shush." Jou's voice hissed causing Yugi to pause in confusion.

She couldn't hear or see much, but Jou had to have a reason for shutting her in her locker and from his tone it was pretty urgent. So instead of protesting, she settled down to listen, trying to soothe the irritation Oneesan was sending over the link at their current predicament.

"Have you two seen Yugi-kun?" Yugi grimaced as she heard Imori's voice speak up and felt her older sister's anger turn to the boy who had been stalking them all morning.

"Listen Imori." Jou sounded angry himself, causing Yugi to wonder if he'd been hiding how cross he really was all day, "Yugi told you no. Several times. She doesn't want to play with you. If you'd asked once, maybe challenged her to something besides those Dragon Cards, she might have said yes."

Yugi had to agree there. If it had been anything else, she would have played with him by now. But she had promised her grandfather she would not use the Dragon Cards so she was being good and staying well away from them, not matter how curious about them she was.

"I know I've been a pest. I just wanted to apologize." Imori sounded properly contrite, though it was hard to tell through a locker door.

"Look." Honda interrupted, irritation in his tone too. Obviously Imori had managed to tick everyone off, "You've done nothing but stalk her all day. Just buzz off. At least until tomorrow."

"Fine." Imori sounded sulky, "But I bought her a present. Could you pass it on?"

"Sure." Honda agreed easily, "I'll make sure it gets to her."

"Now shoo." Jou snapped at Imori, who must have gestured something rude once he was at a safe distance because Jou yelled, "Up yours too."

Letting out a soft sigh at the fact her friends had just done exactly what she had asked them not to do, Yugi knocked on the locker door. The small enclosed space was too hot and stuffy and she really didn't want to be in here longer than she had to, so she was disconcerted to hear Jou completely ignore her knock.

"We should get to P.E." Jou commented as Yugi knocked again, "With lunch nearly over we don't want to be late."

"Jou!" Yugi yelped, not wanting to be stuck there for the entire two hour class.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Honda sounded amused as his voice got a little further away.

"Like what?" Jou sounded honestly confused, causing panic to rise in Yugi despite her belief that he wouldn't actually leave her trapped. "Oh, my PE kit. Thanks."

"Jonouchi Katsuya!" Yugi lost control of her body to a rather angry Oneesan who, while willing to tolerate most pranks, didn't find this at all funny.

"Oh shit." Jou yelped, swiftly opening the door to find himself the target of one of Oneesan's most potent death glares. "Oneesan, hi…"

"Start running." Honda suggested.

Jou ran.

"Don't worry." Honda reassued Oneesan when she turned her glare on him, "I was going to open the door for you."

"Thank you." Oneesan nodded, some of her anger abating, "I wonder if I might ask you a favour." She mentioned as the pair headed for the changing rooms, a smirk beginning to grace her features. Not a nice one either.

"What do you have planned?" Honda asked, slightly worried.

"Well you see..."

* * *

 

Yugi wasn't privy to what Oneesan and Honda decided was the best form of revenge for Jou's prank. However the laughter coming from the boy's changing rooms as they got dressed for P.E. was loud enough that she assumed Oneesan had finally made good on her threats to embarrass Jou horribly.

While the other girls discussed what, exactly, the boys found quite so funny, she changed into the swimming costume she had had to buy from the school upon discovery that yes, they did do them in her size. Of course not having to hunt out on from the shops was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she was sure that she would have gotten teased if she'd had to buy her own but a curse because it meant she could now fit in the girl's uniform.

She had been informed that she could finish the term in the boy's getup, but when the next term started, she would have to wear the girl's uniform. She was dreading it. The jacket was a horrible colour and the skirt was so short she could wear it as a belt. She was tempted to take after Anzu, who wore shorts underneath it to prevent boys getting a flash of her underwear.

There was one bonus though. It meant she'd grown some over the course of the term. She was at least an inch or two taller, though she was still the smallest in her year. Plus she at least had filled out a bit and, as Anzu had insisted, she did look much more feminine with longer hair now it no longer looked like a starfish.

That didn't mean she felt any more self confident and she practically leapt from the changing room to the pool, not wanting to stand around with this little on and amusing Anzu no end as she splashed into the pool.

"Mutou!" The teacher scolded, "No cannonballs!"

The lesson progressed smoothly for a change. As they assessed the swimming skills of the class as a whole, Yugi was pleased to find that for once she was placed in the upper most group. She'd always enjoyed swimming, it was the only sport she was even vaguely good at, mostly because her grandfather had insisted on swimming lessons from a young age. To find she was actually better than some of her more athletic classmates made her grin.

As the lesson came to a close, Yugi stayed in the pool to do a few more lengths. She had no intention of getting out until most of her classmates had left the area. She was normally one of the last back to the changing rooms anyway. Sometimes she even took so long that there was no one around to see her. In hindsight it probably hadn't helped the gender misconception.

A loud ruckus from the girls' changing rooms caused the female teacher to dart in to see what was going on and caught the attention of the group of teenagers hanging around the edge of the pool. Yugi headed for the side herself, concerned that something serious had happened.

The sight of Anzu hovering nervously by the edge of the pool when she got there wasn't reassuring. "What's happened?" Yugi asked as she clambered out of the water, taking a moment to wring out her hair.

"Miho caught Imori going through your stuff." Anzu replied, offering her a hand to her feet, "He took off with your jacket."

Yugi blanched and despite all the rules against it, ran into the girl's changing room. There, much as she had feared, her clothes and school equipment had been scattered everywhere, but her jacket and the golden treasure she had spent eight years assembling that had been wrapped inside were gone.

"My Puzzle." Yugi yelped, panic coursing through her as she glanced at Anzu, who had followed her in. "He took my Puzzle."

That caused the uproar to get even louder as the other girls denounced the thief and the teacher tried to get the girls to settle. Yugi was halfway dressed, still dripping wet and starting to shiver with the cold when Anzu pulled her aside, into an alcove by the entrance where Jou and Honda were already dressed and waiting.

"Anzu, I have to go find Imori." Yugi protested, unnoticing of the note that fell out of her shirt as she shook it out.

"Yuge, stop." Jou put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him in still panicked confusion. "You need to step back a minute. He wants you to go rushing up there, panicking like mad and not thinking straight. He knows he can't beat you otherwise, no one can."

"But…"

"Trust me." Jou smiled at her, a tough and confident smirk that took the edge off of Yugi's panic. "He'll wait for you. Stop, get dry and dressed properly and _then_ go after him. Once you've got your head in the game, you won't lose."

"R…right." Yugi nodded, taking a deep breath and visibly trying to calm herself as she stepped back into the changing room, Anzu in tow. Once the girls were gone, Jou scooped up the note.

"And while she's getting sorted, we're going to go kick Imori until he gives the Puzzle back, right?" Honda asked, anger obvious on his features.

"Nah, I need you to stay here with Yuge, just in case he's got something else up his sleeve." Jou shook his head, "I'll go pound on Imori. I'm already on the school's crap list, you need to keep your record clean." Honda scowled but nodded at that and Jou shot off while Honda moved round to the other entrance to the girl's room.

* * *

 

It didn't take Jou long to find the brat, even with the halls full of post school student madness it wasn't very hard to get upstairs and to 11d's form room, where Imori's note had said he would be waiting. If anything Imori look disappointed that it was Jou who had turned up.

"You're not Yugi-kun." Imori complained as Jou stepped in the door.

"No," Jou agreed, "See I know your game. You know her rep with games, worked out that she's not going to play you no matter how much you plead and even if she does, you can't win. So you thought you'd cheat, steal her Puzzle, get her panicking. That way it's an easy victory."

"Well I'm not giving it back." Imori declared, glowering at the blonde who had hit the nail on the head, "Not unless someone wins it from me and I've already unsealed the Dragon Cards." He gestured to the table where Jou could feel the same creeping darkness that accompanied one of Oneesan's Shadow Games emerging from an open clay pot on the table.

"Fine." Jou snapped, sitting in the chair opposite Imori. "You want someone to play against so badly? I'll play you, but when I win, you've gotta leave Yuge alone. No more stalking her, no more stealing her stuff, you're done, got it? And I'm taking the Puzzle back too."

"You won't win." Imori crowed even as he shuffled the deck and put it beside the pot. The moment Jou copied Imori and drew five cards he felt the Shadows start to swirl around his feet, "Not against me, I'm a Master at this game. And when you lose, the dragons will devour your soul!"

Jou just glared at him, refusing to show how freaked out he was with that idea. "Just tell me the damn rules already."

"Oh it's really simple." Imori replied, "The deck goes in the middle of the table and we both draw from it. According to Feng Shui, chi develops in the mountains and travels through the earth, that's why it's called the Dragon's Breath. In this case the deck is the mountain and the table is the earth. Now there is power lowing around the deck, holding the five evil elements in balance."

"And?" Jou demanded, not wanting the blurb, just the rules.

"Each player draws six cards to start with and each card depicts a dragon of the elements." He explained, "The numbers depict a level. Once you collect 3 copies of the same card you can summon a dragon. Both players need two dragons and the one who wipes out both their opponent's dragons win. Now, Game Start!"

* * *

 

"Excuse me." Yugi shot through a gap in the crowd descending, causing Honda to cuss as he lost her. She would have felt sorry for him but she was too busy being worried about the fact Jou had gone after Imori for her and ten minutes later had yet to come back.

She reached Imori's form room far ahead of Honda, just in time to see Jou collapse sideways and fall out of his chair.

"Jou!" Yugi darted over, kneeling at her friend's side and trying to shake him awake.

"He won't wake up." Imori gloated, causing Yugi to look up at him, anger warring with fear and confusion as he smirked down at her. "His soul's gone."

"What?" Yugi breathed, wishing that the Puzzle was back in her possession as she realised she was in severely over her head.

"That's what happens to someone who loses at Dragon Cards." Imori explained nonchalantly, "The dragons take their soul. It's payment for using their powers you see. Of course you can save him."

Understanding seeped into Yugi as she realised that he knew too much about the game for Ojiisan's revelations about it to have been a surprise. He had wanted her to play him and lose her soul. But Jou had tried to get the Puzzle back for her and he had paid the price in her stead. "How?"

Imori chuckled slightly at her attempt at a demand. "It's simple. The Dragon Jar only holds one soul at a time. If someone else loses their soul, the one already in the jar goes back to its body, almost as good as new."

"What the...?" Yugi mentally flinched as Honda finally caught up with her and took in the scene.

"You're sure? If I play you, his soul will come back, no matter who wins?" Yugi asked, ignoring the hiss from her friend at the door.

"It takes three months for the jar to devour someone's soul." Imori smirked at her, "If you want to trade yours for his, I'm up for another round."

"Honda," Yugi looked over at the teen in question who was glowering at Imori but whose body posture screamed that he wasn't sure what to do, "Can you take Jou?"

"Yugi?" Honda asked, worried.

"I'll get Jou back." Yugi promised him before turning to Imori, "Alright, I'll play."

"Good. You win, you can have your Puzzle back too." Imori nodded, shuffling the deck as Yugi left Jou with Honda and sat at the table. "You know, Yugi, I've been interested in you for a while. Not in a bad way." He reassured her, though his creepy smile didn't help her nerves, "In fact I used to look up to you."

"Wha...what?" Yugi asked, trying to keep a grip on the calm she had gained while getting changed.

"You were weak, bullied by everyone. Much like me." Imori explained, watching her closely, "And then you completed the Puzzle and received the powers of darkness, didn't you?"

Yugi bit her lip. It wasn't her who controlled the Shadows. She couldn't survive contact with them for too long. It was her older sister who had changed everything for her.

"From then on everything changed for you." Imori continued, "You got friends, happiness, now fame too." His features turned dark and angry, "Unlike me. I got access to the powers beyond understanding and was shunned. The bullying got worse, everyone avoided me and the one boy I thought would understand what I was going through turned out to be a selfish, cold girl, who wouldn't even play a simple game with me."

"I..." Yugi was confused, the only game she had ever refused to play with anyone, was Dragon Cards.

"The books my grandfather left me told me how to claim your power as my own." Imori smirked at her. "All I have to do to take your role as the Guardian of the Shadows is defeat you and now the Dragon Cards have been unsealed, the only way to prevent a disaster is to fight me."

No Puzzle meant that she would need to face Imori, she couldn't rely on Anesan to do it for her. As Imori explained the basic rules, she knew Honda was watching the pair of them like a hawk. She couldn't help but wonder if he felt like Imori was skipping over details too. He obviously had no intention of making this a fair game by letting her know all the rules and she could feel the Shadows rebelling against it. For the first time they didn't seem that interested in her, but they were flaring like mad around Imori. She didn't understand how he could ignore it.

Yugi drew. She was on her own here. She didn't know all of the rules and Imori was not only slightly deranged but had had plenty of time to study the game in its entirety. It wasn't a fair game, but she had to believe in herself. If she didn't she would be swapping her soul for Jou's.

As she drew cards and discarded the ones she didn't need, she tried to gather the best cards she could. She didn't understand how the elements worked in the game, not properly. When she asked about it, however, Imori refused to give her a straight answer. Instead he commented that it was basic knowledge, something she should have known before she came to fight him.

Eventually she managed to summon two dragons by placing her cards on the table, Imori did the same, and the action triggered an eruption of Shadows from the jar. Yugi cringed as pain washed over her as the Shadows that weren't involved in summoning her fire and metal dragons and Imori's water dragons, were drawn to her light.

"Ha!" Imori crowed, "Your Hou Long, your fire dragon, doesn't stand a chance against my Shui Longs! And your Jin Long is a metal dragon, it make my dragons even more powerful! You can't win!"

Yugi watched in horror as her dragons were wiped out with ease. "I...I lost..." Yugi paled as Imori drew himself to his feet.

"That's right, Yugi, and now you know what's coming! Penalty Game!" Yugi launched herself across the table and managed the snatch the Puzzle back, but the link didn't even get a chance to reform before one of Imori's dragons dove through her and she felt something tearing at her, before everything went black.

* * *

 

Waking up was agony.

Her head hurt, her heart hurt and none of it mattered because Imoto-chan was gone. Oneesan felt like she had been ripped in two. Like half of herself had been violently torn away. And it had, she realised. Her other self, had been ripped out of her heart by Imori's dragons.

Thank the Gods Imoto-chan had managed to snatch the Puzzle back in time.

Oneesan could feel the Shadows roiling. Imori had won, but something he had done had ticked the Shadows off so badly that she could sense them straining to feast on the boy before her. They were so against the boy who had stolen Imoto-chan from her, that she could feel their willingness to release her little sister from their grip if she would feed him to them.

Considering everything he had done, Oneesan was, for the first time, not against the idea.

"Jonouchi!" She glanced around at Honda's surprised, yet relieved call. Jou blinked at him wearily, then realized he was led on the floor and shot to his feet.

"Imori, you…"

"I wouldn't." She heard Imori's smirking tone and her anger flared up, "Yugi gave her soul to save yours. You wouldn't want it to be a…what the…?" Imori yelped as Oneesan tapped the table, drawing his attention, and glared at him.

"Next." She told the boy, anger barely in check as she reminded herself that he was an expert at Dragon Cards, suggesting that his naivety in the game shop had been a ploy to drag them into his trap. Taking Jou's soul had been unforgiveable, stealing Imoto-chan away from her was the final straw. She was going to destroy the boy in front of her and save her little sister, "I'll stake my other soul."

Imori looked shocked. He had thought that by defeating the 'front' Yugi, he would be able to take her place as 'Guardian of Darkness' and control the power he could feel moving against him. He wasn't stupid, he knew the magic was against him. He wasn't sure why but it was why he wanted Yugi's Puzzle.

The books his Grandfather had gotten him spoke of the 'golden treasures of Egypt' being able to control the Shadows completely. If he could tame the power he had somehow managed to piss off, he would be able to destroy everyone who had ever been mean to him. Ever.

Now, however, because Yugi had managed to grab the Puzzle, it looked like he would have to fight the 'back' Yugi too. He smirked as she glanced at the soul eating jar on the table with nearly hidden concern.

"Heh heh, are you worried?" He taunted, earning a glower that would have killed him if looks could kill, "The soul of your 'front' self is still whole right now. It takes three months for it to digest one soul. If by some extraordinary fluke you manage to win, you'll get your spare soul back, almost as good as new."

Spare? He dared to call Imoto-chan a spare? Her little sister wasn't just her host, the Pharaoh now realised. She was, in fact the other half of her soul. In hind sight, Shadi had indicated as much when he had been explaining everything to Imoto-chan. They just hadn't realised it until now.

"Game Start!" Imori crowed, confident in his ability to wipe out this Yugi too. He knew the game like the back of his hand, there was no way the 'back' Yugi would have any more luck than her other self had.

The pair drew, Oneesan turning her attention to what Imori was discarding and what she was drawing herself. She had had a bad opening hand, no two cards had matched up, whereas Imori seemed to have had more luck. If she hadn't seen him shuffle the deck, she would have suspected him of stacking it against her.

Unfortunately for her, Imori managed to summon his dragons first and it took her two more turns to complete her sets, giving his dragons a power bonus so when her level five metal dragon and her level four earth dragon took the field, they were up against a boosted level five wood dragon and a boosted level five water one.

"Why would you summon another metal dragon?" Imori crowed, sending his water dragon after the dragon in question, "My water dragon can, what!?"

Oneesan smirked as her earth dragon pounded the ground with its feet and a crack in the ground opened up and sucked up the water.

"Earth gives power to metal." Oneesan taunted, having, thankfully remembered something Ojiisan had once told her while they were talking about Chinese games, "And Metal is protected by Earth."

"Not bad Shadow Yugi." Imori chuckled, "You're better at this than your spare self but for my next move..." His wood dragon grew in size, startling Oneesan, "Water powers up wood." He reminded her, "And Wood destroys Earth!"

Vines extended from the wood dragon and started sucking power from the Earth dragon, leaving it immobile and unable to defend the metal one.

"Now, let's try this again, water dragon!" He gestured and the metal dragon was swamped by the waters. "Ha!" Imori crowed, "The metal dragon dies and soon Yugi, you will... what!?"

The metal dragon wasn't deceased, it was rusting, indicating it would be soon, but the water dragon had been so weakened by the earth dragon, that Oneesan's metal dragon survived just long enough to cut down the wood dragon.

"No!" Imori protested as he felt the power moving against him, preparing to strike at him, "This isn't fair!"

"It's only as fair as you were to Jou or Imoto-chan!" Oneesan snarled, "Now, earth dragon! Finish him!"

With little dramatic flare the earth dragon absorbed the water one, ending the game.

"I...I lost...everything!" Imori panicked, knowing what was coming.

"You deserve much worse for what you've done." Oneesan growled, "Here's your penalty game. It's your turn to feed your soul to the Shadows!"

She mentally winced slightly as Imori's soul was ripped out of his body, but only because if it was as painful as it looked, it explained the agony that had washed over the link before Imoto-chan had been taken away.

The moment Imori's soul entered the jar, the Shadows kept up their end of the bargain and released Imoto-chan, sending the brightly glowing orb that was her soul back into her body. Instantly the pain eased and the 'torn' feeling went away.

Relief coursed through Oneesan as she resealed the cards. She could sense her little sister was either asleep or unconscious, but from what she could sense, she was whole and sound. Oneesan wanted to retreat to the soul rooms and check on her properly if she could.

"Is she okay?" Jou demanded, pale and going whiter still as Oneesan stumbled as she got up. "Oneesan?"

"She'll be okay." The ancient spirit of the Puzzle promised him, noting the relief that spread across both his features even as she wondered how she had known how to seal the Dragon Cards again. "But we need to get away from here. If we're discovered with... that." She gestured dismissively to Imori's soulless form, "We could be in a lot of trouble and I need to find somewhere safe for these." She held up the cards and the jar as she headed for the door.

Her friends were quiet for a moment as they followed her. Then Honda spoke up, "I have an idea."

"Lead the way." Oneesan gestured for him to precede her even as she tried to work out why Jou was giving her a really strange look. "What?" She asked him as they followed Honda down and out of the school.

"Nothing..." Jou shook his head too quickly, "I just...need to speak to Yuge. That's all."

"When she wakes, you'll be the first to know."


	25. Break In

Coming around in her Soul Room was a shock, a pleasant one, but a shock none the less. Considering the last thing she remembered was losing to Imori, she hadn't expected to ever be here again. After all she had been trading her soul to save Jou's.

She remembered grabbing the Puzzle just before Imori's dragons had attacked. After that everything was a blur of pain and darkness until she had passed out from it all. It was pretty easy to guess what had happened though.

She sat up slowly, her movement disturbing the figure who had fallen asleep half sprawled across her bed. Anesan blinked at her blearily, trying to regain her bearings for a moment before relief quickly spread across her features as she sat up. "Imoto-chan! You're awake."

"H...hey." Yugi stumbled over her words, embarrassment coursing through her as her older sister pressed a hand against her forehead, checking her temperature and generally fussing at her. "How long was it this..." She trailed off when Anesan shocked them both by hugging her. "A...Anesan?" She murmured when her Other Self pulled away.

"If your plan was to see if you could frighten me to death," Her big sister scolded her, "It might have been planned out a little better. I think you gave Jou a heart attack."

"I..." Yugi trailed off. She couldn't apologise. Not for what she had done. It might have frightened her friends, but it had been necessary and she would do it again to protect them. "Is he okay?" She asked, worried about the potential side effects of having his soul ripped out.

"He's fine." The elder soul seemed to understand, "Rather tired, but mostly he's worried about you. The Shadows affect you on a greater level than most after all."

"I'm okay." Yugi lied, not wanting to worry her Other Self. She felt like she had been ripped in two and reassembled hastily. The pain from earlier still plagued her heart, though at nowhere near the level it had been when the dragons had attacked. She was exhausted too. She felt like she had run a marathon or gone swimming across the Atlantic. There was something she wanted to do before she fell asleep again though. "Where's Jou?"

"Living room." Anesan shrugged, "He refused to go to bed before he'd seen you, so he's probably still there."

"Seen me?" Yugi blinked at her, confused, before moving to get out of bed.

"You frightened him." The spirit of the Puzzle informed her, watching her carefully as she helped her out of bed, "When you traded your soul for his. He just wants to be sure you're not hurt."

"But..." Yugi sighed, "He doesn't believe you?"

"I can tell him till I'm blue in the face," Her big sister shrugged, "Unless you're stood there in front of him, he's going to worry. It's what friends do. Especially when one of them does something crazy."

"It wasn't crazy. Jou needed his soul back and I needed the Puzzle back. I had to play Imori to get either of those." Yugi pointed out, "Alright, I'll go convince him to go to bed. Then I hope you don't think I'm being rude but..."

"No, I understand." Anesan's hand went to her own chest and she grimaced uncomfortably, causing Yugi to realise that her older sister was suffering from the same pain she was.

"I'll be back in a minute." Yugi promised, then stumbled out of her soul room and into the real world.

It took her a moment to regain her bearings once she was in her body, almost as if her mind was resynching with the form she had been so viciously torn out of. When her footing was more stable and her head had stopped spinning, she headed down the corridor from her bedroom to the living room where Jou was playing one of her old games on the television and looking like he was about to doze off.

"Hi?" Yugi asked, glancing at the screen and not sure if she should interfere or not.

Jou jumped a mile, dropping his controller before wheeling around to look at her. "Yuge!" He grinned, shooting to his feet and darting over, hugging her tightly for a moment before letting go sharply and backing off while looking worried, as if afraid he had hurt her.

"Does your..." Yugi trailed off, her hand going to her chest, just over her heart.

"Yeah." Jou nodded, relief crossing his features for a moment as he realised that he wasn't the only one who still hurt from the effects of the game earlier. Then an odd look settled on his face and he pulled Yugi across to the chairs and gestured for her to take one.

"Yuge?" He asked, still standing as she settled on a chair, "I... Okay first off thanks. You risked your soul for me, so thanks."

"It's okay." Yugi smiled at him, trying to reassure him when she could see something was bothering him greatly.

"No, it's not, I mean it is now but..." Jou paused and stared her down, "You did think you could win when you faced Imori, right?" Yugi's eyes widened for a moment, then she bit her lip as hesitation settled in.

Honestly? No, she hadn't thought she could win. She had hoped, but the moment she had stepped into the room and understood the situation fully, she had come to understand that she didn't stand a chance. Imori had the situation rigged. Her friend's soul was gone, her Puzzle taken and her opponent not only knew the game she was being Challenged to like the back of his hand, but he wouldn't give her the full rules.

There was no way for her to escape with her soul without running away from the fight. But if she could get Jou's soul and the Puzzle back, if both of her friends could be safe, she would consider it a victory. Just not the sort of victory Jou meant.

Jou didn't need her to answer, her hesitation was enough. He swore loudly, startling Yugi enough that her eyes flickered red for a moment as Oneesan came to the fore to protect her, only to back off when she realised that it was Jou.

"J...Jou?" Yugi asked, worried.

"Shit, Yuge, no. Just no." Jou snapped at her, confusing her no end. "You can't just...no."

"I'm sorry?" Yugi offered, knowing Jou was mad, but not sure why.

"Don't apologise unless you know what you're saying sorry for." Jou grouched at her. "Kami..." He slumped back into a chair. "You seriously just handed yourself over? Knowing you couldn't win?"

"As long as you and Anesan were okay, it didn't..." Yugi trailed off as she felt denial course across the link from her big sister and saw that Jou was trembling with suppressed anger. "Jou..."

"Of course it mattered!" Jou snarled at her. "Kami, Yuge, you have any idea what losing you would do to Ojiisan? What it would do to us? Your friends? You can't just throw yourself away, Yugi!"

"But it would have been..." Yugi trailed off at Jou's deepening glower, having not been sure what she had expected but she had not expected this.

"Don't. Don't you dare say that it would have been worth it." Jou growled. "You want to know what I would have done, if Oneesan hadn't been able to get you back? I'd have pounded on Imori until he accepted my Challenge and I'd have traded myself back."

"But you shouldn't..." Yugi was confused. One minute he was telling her she couldn't throw herself away, the next he was threatening to do exactly the same thing. "You can't..."

"If you can just give yourself up, so can I." Jou pointed out.

"No!" Yugi protested, shaking her head and getting to her feet, fleeting anger giving way for frightened concern for her friend, "That's not right. You're... I couldn't let you."

"If I'm not allowed to sacrifice myself for you, you're not allowed to do the same for me." Jou stared her down.

"But..." Yugi trailed off and looked away. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"And we don't want you to get hurt or killed protecting us." Jou said as he came and kneeled in front of her, forcing her to look at him, a sympathetic, understanding smile on his face, "I'll do you a deal, okay Yuge?"

"W...what?" Yugi stammered.

"I'll promise to stay back and let you and Oneesan handle things," Jou replied, if you promise that you won't risk your life or soul if you don't think there's a chance you can get away safely."

"I..." Yugi didn't want to make a promise she wasn't sure she could keep. She would throw herself to the wolves as many times as it took to ensure her friends' safety. But she could sense Anesan's approval at the deal and could see how much Jou wanted this. "Alright Jou, I promise."

"Good." Jou looked relived as he backed off a little, stumbling a bit as he did so, "Now, if you don't mind, Yuge, I'm shattered, so I'm gunna get some shut eye. You probably should too."

"Right." Yugi agreed, nodding as she got to her feet, wavering slightly in her exhaustion and able to feel her older sister's support as she regained her footing. Thankfully Jou hadn't seen the moment of weakness, and she was able to escape the room without further interrogation.

* * *

 

By Friday they were fully recovered and Jou was ready and raring to go for his television debut. They spent the entire school day before it listening to Jou crow about what he was going to do with his winnings and that he'd be a star by the end of the day.

Unfortunately it didn't go as well as he hoped. Though he made it few the first few rounds without too much trouble, his personal brand of luck keeping him in the game where most others would have failed, when it came to the final round everything went wrong.

Yugi had had to slip off just as the grand finale kicked off to use the toilet and had gotten lost, ending up backstage where she could hear the director gloating that the 'Wheel of Fortune' was rigged and he was going to send 'this pathetic loser' home with nothing.

Oneesan hadn't taken kindly to that and though she hadn't been caught, the director's sudden bout of insanity, where he burst through the curtains at the back of the stage and started babbling about everything he had done to rig the game, meant that the TV station was refusing to pay out even though Jou had actually managed to win.

So they walked home from the television recording studio in an awkward silence. Honda and Anzu had been with them, but they had split as soon as possible. Yugi couldn't blame them. Jonouchi was steaming mad and the tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

Unfortunately she didn't know what she could do about it. The damage had already been done. The game show was over, Jonouchi was walking away without the money but not because he had lost. Oneesan had tried to change it, tried to give Jou a fair shot. Unfortunately it had not helped in the slightest.

She felt concern from her older sister as they turned down an alley towards home and a soft nudge. Yugi frowned slightly, wondering what was up and mentally 'stepped back,' allowing Oneesan to take the reins.

"Jou," Oneesan turned to face her friend, not wanting this to fester any longer than it already had, "If you want to yell at me..."

"You couldn't just leave well enough alone? Could you?" Jou snarled, interrupting her, furious and only not decking her because she was a girl and sharing his best friend's body, "You just had to send him nuts!"

"He was cheating!" Oneesan protested, wincing slightly as she felt Imoto-chan's resignation. She couldn't deny that her little sister had seen this coming, but at least he had waiting until they were nearly home and out of the eyes of the public. "You couldn't have won."

"You don't know that!" Jou snapped back.

"I did." Oneesan shook her head, "That producer was gloating about how he'd rigged the game! He said he got better ratings when pathetic losers got to the final round and failed at the final hurdle."

"So I'm a pathetic loser?" Jou glared at her, causing Oneesan to realise she had stuck her foot in her mouth.

"No." She tried to object, "I never said that!"

"You obviously agreed with him or you wouldn't have ruined my chances." Jou snapped, "No wonder the bloody tv station won't pay out, you fixed it in my favour!"

"I can't!" Oneesan protested, "I literally can't! The Shadows would have my hide. The games have to be fair, remember?"

"Yeah, the games have to be fair, but the consequences don't." Jou's face took on a vindictive look, "Or is it suddenly fair to challenge people to games you know they can't win? Or risk Yugi's life without her permission? Or paint a huge target on her back?"

"Jou!" Yugi shot into control as Oneesan's shock at that low blow allowed her to snatch control away, "That was uncalled for."

"Whatever. I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up." Jou's anger wasn't at Yugi and he stalked off before he could say or do something he regretted, especially after she had risked her soul for him earlier in the week.

"Jou..." Yugi watched him go sadly, able to feel her older sister's hurt at Jou's words and upset by them herself. Then, instead of chasing him, remembering something Anzu had once told her about people needing time to cool off after an argument, she headed home.

Friends fought all the time, she had to remind herself as she locked up for the night. It was perfectly natural and Jou would be back when he felt he had calmed down enough. She just could not help but feel partially responsible for the arguments between her friend and her big sister. If she had not needed to use the bathroom, she would not have gotten lost and ended up backstage where she could hear the director gloating.

It did not help her sense of culpability that she could sense that Oneesan had been really hurt by Jou's words. The spirit of the Puzzle had, after all, only been trying to level the playing field and give Jou a chance at winning the one million Yen prize. She had not meant to ruin it for him.

The Game Shop was quiet as she locked up by herself. Ojiisan had finished early and gone out with an old archaeologist friend of his while Jou had yet to return home. As the clock rolled around to half seven Yugi started to get concerned, but Jou had been out much later before, she just had to trust he would be okay.

It took her ten minutes to chase Ginka out of the store room. The kitten had spotted a mouse in there earlier in the afternoon and has chased it into a hole in the skirting board. The tiny grey tabby feline had been single-mindedly watching it for the rest of the day. However once the kitten was out of the stock room it did not take Yugi long to finish shutting up. Years of practise meant that within twenty minutes she could head upstairs and crash out on the sofa. Or she would have been able to if she had not had homework.

Instead she spent a couple of hours finishing her work before apologising to Oneesan and removing the Puzzle so she could have a shower while the oven warmed up for dinner. Showering helped her clear her head and she finally felt able to relax as she stepped out of the hot shower and started drying her hair. Jou would forgive Oneesan in due time, she just knew it.

Her train of thoughts got disrupted when she heard the distinctive crash of display stands tumbling to the ground.

Frowning as she quickly pulled on her pyjamas and her dressing gown, she made her way downstairs, ready to scold the cat for causing a mess even as she wondered how Ginka had gotten downstairs when she had shut the doors.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw something that gave her pause. The display cases in the store had been knocked over, sending stock everywhere and she knew she had turned off the stock room light but the door was ajar and light was pouring from it. Not only that but as she got closer she could hear something moving inside in there and it sounded much bigger than a cat.

Curious now she edged towards the door, able to see on closer inspection that someone had forced the till open making her very glad that she had put the cash drawer in the safe earlier in the night. She peeked around the edge of the door to find a huge brute of a man with a ski mask covering his face was ripping apart the stacks of boxes at the edge of the room.

Yugi did not have to guess what he was looking for, it was pretty obvious. Thankfully the safe was upstairs as, unfortunately, was the Puzzle. Yugi bolted, not stupid enough to think she stood any chance of standing up to the thief without Anesan's assistance and wishing Ginka had not chewed through the downstairs phone line while bored.

Unfortunately for her the burglar had spotted her as she withdrew from the doorway and gave chase. The girl narrowly made it to the stairs, managing to shut the door behind her but not lock it before the thief was trying to rip it open.

Instead of wasting time fighting with the door, Yugi shot upstairs, taking the stairs two and three at a time as she raced ahead of the burglar. She managed to get halfway across the living room before he caught her by vaulting over the sofa and wrapping an arm around her chest, pinning her to his own.

Unable to escape the huge man's grip, Yugi took a deep breath in order to scream, hoping the neighbours would hear her, only for a huge meaty hand to clamp over her mouth and nose, muffling it completely.

"Got you."

Yugi's eyes widened as she realised she knew the thief and a weak, almost silenced whimper escaped as terror coursed through her. Her captor was the man who had had her kidnapped and tortured for daring to stand up for a friend. She struggled desperately against Hirutani's grip, trying to escape to no avail. Hirutani was almost twice her height and was built like a brick outhouse and unlike Anzu, she had never taken self defence classes.

"I'm not letting you blast me again," Hirutani hissed, as her struggles started to weaken, her lungs screaming for air and her head swimming, "No shitting way." Yugi's eyes widened for a moment as she realised he was worried about Anesan sending him flying like she had when he had kissed her. "And if I have you, I have that traitor Jonouchi over a barrel."

No. There was no way she was letting him use her as bait to hurt Jou. She struggled a moment long before an idea came to mind and she went limp in his grip, appearing to have passed out.

He let out a disgusted and slightly irritated huff and released her. She collapsed forwards, tumbling momentarily before scrambling away, fear motivating her to higher speeds than ever before. It didn't help, even before she had caught her breath he was on her and Hirutani had pinned her to the floor before binding her wrists behind her back with the cord of the dressing gown.

Yugi managed to get half a scream out before he smacked her hard enough to cause her to see stars. While she tried to pull herself together, Hirutani snatched the fashionable scarf Anzu had left on the sofa just that morning and blindfolded Yugi with it.

"Now," Yugi felt something sharp press against her throat and let out a terrified whimper, "Scream again and I'll slit your throat."

A pained yelp escaped the girl as he pulled her to her feet by her hair, but she did not risk screaming again as he forced her into a chair and retied her wrists so they were trapped behind the seat.

"You and that prick, Jonouchi, stole everything from me." Hirutani snarled as Yugi heard the sounds of someone ripping the living room apart while searching for something. "My gang, my territory, my reputation!"

"We didn't..." Yugi didn't get more than a couple of words out before he smacked her again.

"Shut up." The gang leader snarled in her face, causing her to freeze in terror as she remembered the last time he was that close to her, "You have any idea what it was like coming out of hospital to find your gang's dead or comatose, your turf's been taken over because you got beat by your ex-second and some chick and they didn't consider your territory worth their effort?" When Yugi shook her head, he continued on, "No, you wouldn't. I lost everything. I was one of the most respected gang leaders in Domino. I had Yakuza backing. Now I'm reduced to petty theft and not a single gang will take me in. And it's all your fault."

"I..." Yugi let out a pained, winded gasp as he punched her hard in the stomach, the unseen blow causing her to curl up in her seat as best she could manage with her hands bound behind the chair.

"Shut. Up." Hirutani snarled, the blade back at her throat, "One more word and I'll end you. Magic or no magic." Yugi shut up, not daring to respond in case he made good on his threat. "I've been waiting for a long time to get vengeance on you and that traitor, Jonouchi." Hirutani continued talking, pulling away from Yugi and going back to searching, "And now I can get it and there's nothing you can do."

" _I can't let him hurt Jou."_ Yugi thought, fear causing her to tremble in her seat as she considered her options and remembered her promise, twisting her wrists and fiddled with the cord, trying desperately to free herself as she heard Hirutani rummaging again. _"But what can I do?"_

"A ha!" He crowed as it sounded like he pulled something off of the wall, "Here's the safe. Now where's the key?"

Yugi heard him pulling stuff off of shelves and chucking ornaments over his shoulder in his search and was suddenly grateful that she had hidden the key safely away. She had planned to give it back to her grandfather when he got in, but for now she did not expect Hirutani would think to look for it amongst the cutlery.

"Where are they?" She had just managed to loosen the knots enough to free one wrist when he gave up and stalked over, grabbing her collar and shaking her. "Where's the keys, bitch? You can talk long enough to tell me."

"I...I don't know." Yugi lied, hoping the tremble in her voice was taken for fear, rather than proof of her lying and wishing she had managed to get to the Puzzle before he'd caught her.

"It's your shop." Hirutani snarled, shaking her more roughly, "Where the hell are they?"

"It's Ojiisan's shop not mine." Yugi replied quickly, able to feel his breath against her skin and smell the alcohol on it. "I don't know where he puts the keys." He slapped her again, knocking the chair over this time. Yugi took the opportunity it presented as the wood her other wrist had been tied to snapped on impact with the floor, allowing her to pull herself free of the chair.

As she darted away she heard Hirutani let out a frustrated bellow. She managed to pull the blindfold away from her eyes only to find that the room was pitch black. She took the opportunity it presented her to dart behind the sofa as Hirutani stumbled around, kicking the coffee table.

"A damn power cut?" Hirutani snarled, "Now?"

Yugi smiled slightly despite the situation. As long as she got to her room before the lights came back on, she could get her Puzzle and Anesan would protect her.

"Oi bitch. Come out, come out wherever you are..." Hirutani taunted. "I will find you."

Yugi didn't respond. They were both as blind as each other now and she knew the layout of the house. This was just a game of blind man's bluff and as long as she was silent and fast she could win.

"You know, I don't think you can use magic without that gaudy pendant of yours." Hirutani's words allowed her to work out where he was and she shifted quietly towards the door to the hallway, "Otherwise you'd have blasted me by now."

He was right, though she wasn't going to confirm it right now.

"You like games right, witch?" Hirutani demanded, making Yugi wonder how much he knew about her, "Here's one for you. You manage to get your pendant thing, you win. I catch you, you're dead meat."

A game. Hirutani was playing a game with her. Yugi took heart in the fact she never lost in a fair game and with the house immersed in darkness, they were just as blind as each other, levelling the field.

She slipped into the corridor, running one hand against the wall as she stuck as close to it as possible to avoid squeaky floorboards. Behind her she could hear Hirutani knocking everything over as he tried to draw her out.

She edged along the corridor quickly but quietly. Not willing to risk making too much noise. It wasn't that far to her room and the Puzzle within. She just had to avoid stepping on any...

"Ow!" The pained yelp escaped Yugi before she could help it as she crashed into a table she was certain hadn't been there this morning. The sounds drew Hirutani into the corridor and Yugi gave up stealth for speed as she heard him approach.

She was almost at her door when he caught up to her, narrowly managing to dodge his lunge and escape into her bedroom. He was just behind her as she practically leapt for the bed, luck with her as she landed next to the Puzzle.

She snatched it up and Oneesan took control immediately, the Puzzle glowing as she rolled off the bed on the opposite side from their attacker. When she straightened she glowered at Hirutani who was looking furious but wary as he glared back.

"You lose," She informed him, vindictive pleasure in it, looking forward to dealing with the man who had held her little sister prisoner not once, but twice and tortured them both, "And this time, your fate is up to me."

"And you think you can deal with me?" Hirutani stepped towards her, fists raising, preparing to strike her.

"I know I can." Oneesan backed up just one step, raising her own hand, palm facing him, a calm settling over her as she made up her mind what she was going to do, trying to hide what was about to happen from Imoto-chan, "Mind..."

Hirutani had no intention of letting her finish her incantation, he leapt at her. Oneesan dodged around him, not stupid enough to let him grab her and blasted him with Shadow Magic, sending him crashing into Yugi's desk, which buckled under his weight.

Before he could scramble to his feet, Oneesan had unleashed the Shadows, "Mind Crush!"

Hirutani's mind shattered with an audible, worrying recognisable smash and the thug collapsed against the remains of Yugi's desk.

Oneesan started scowling as she tried to work out how the hell she was going to explain this to everyone, only for her train of thoughts to derail when Jou's voice, full of concern and panic, echoed down the corridor to her.

"My room, Jou." She called back, relieved to have him here, even if he was probably still ticked at her about earlier.

Jou was there in a heartbeat, followed by a tall girl with long white hair who looked familiar, though Oneesan couldn't place her. "Hirutani?" He yelped, shocked for a moment before looking Oneesan over, worried considering the last time his friend had had a run in with the gang boss, "You alright Yuge?"

"I'm fine." Oneesan nodded, noting that Imoto-chan was doing the mental equivalent of 'sitting down hard' now the situation was mostly handled. "Nothing broken."

"Nasty bruise coming up though." Jou murmured, having spotted the mark on her face where Hirutani had obviously struck her. Thinking about the former gang leader, he turned to look at the deadweight, mostly glad to see him still breathing, "So what're we doing about him? Because we should probably get rid before Ojiisan gets home and calls the cops."

"Let me." The girl with him stepped forward, calling the Shadows who were more than willing to vanish away the body.

"Who're you?" Oneesan demanded, looking the girl over, something about her grating on the spirit's nerves.

"Bakura Amane." The girl replied with a small, smug grin, "See you later." With that she vanished in a swirl of Shadows.

Jou just stood there, dumbstruck for a few moments as he watched the exchange, then he turned to Oneesan, looking sheepish, "In my defence, I didn't know she could do that."  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Bakura!!
> 
> For anyone who is confused, I had a canon name for a female child of the Bakura family, so I swapped Ryou and Amane's names :)


	26. A Simple Game

The break in at the game shop was nobody's business except that of the police and the Mutous, so naturally the whole school knew about it by the time Yugi got there the following morning.

Questions flew thick and fast and Yugi, who didn't quite know how to handle the crowd of people who gathered to hear the details first hand, was relieved when class started and the others settled down.

Last night had been bad enough. Ojiisan had arrived home before they had had a chance to do anything about the mess caused by Hirutani and had immediately rushed upstairs to check on them. He had gotten most of the details from them and then called the police out of necessity. He needed a police report if he was going to call the insurance companies.

There was no way they could tell the truth, not without revealing Oneesan, the other girl and their powers so they had to edit the truth slightly. The version of events they gave the police, the same one Yugi gave her classmates the following day, was that Yugi had been home alone when someone had broken in. She had tried to confront him but he had easily overpowered her, hence the bruises and had been trying to rob the store blind when Jou had gotten home and scared him off.

Of course this made Jonouchi a hero in the books of most of the school's female population and Anzu overheard several of the girls who had previously maligned him suddenly discussing his 'charms.'

There was still one such conversation going on when the Teacher entered the room, followed by a tall, half asian girl with some foreign hints to her features, with long white hair and soft brown eyes. Yugi's eyes widened as she recognised the girl even before the teacher introduced her as Bakura Amane, a transfer student from England.

The only free seat in the classroom was beside Yugi, who gave the other girl a smile and nod. The other girl looked nervous as she nodded back, causing Yugi to feel sorry for her. Starting a new school wasn't easy, powers or no powers, and Bakura kind of reminded her of a deer in the headlights. A feeling that only deepened when Jou had to shield the new girl from the horde that descended upon her the moment the lunch break started.

Yugi pulled her into the school's library and headed for the back stacks where no one normally ventured. "You should be safe here." Yugi promised, "I swear they're like seagulls. The slightest bit of gossip and they descend in flocks."

"That's happened in every school I've been to so far." Bakura admitted ruefully, her Japanese fluent but her English accent obvious, "I think it's a teenage thing."

"Maybe." Yugi allowed, before offering her hand, remembering something her Grandfather had told her about English introductions, "Mutou Yugi, nice to meet you properly."

Bakura paused for a moment, as if steeling herself, before shaking it, "Bakura Amane." She replied, "Thanks for the save."

"I know it can get overwhelming." Yugi shrugged it off, "I just figured you could probably use a hideway."

Bakura nodded for a moment, her eyes coming to rest on the Millennium Puzzle as she did so. "If I may, where did you get that?" She asked, pointing at it.

"My Ojiisan." Yugi explained, her hand resting on the artefact that hadn't been further than arm's length from her since the break in."He brought it back from Egypt while it was in pieces and I assembled it. It took me years."

"I see." Bakura nodded thoughtfully, pulling something out from underneath her school blouse. A golden artefact, a ring with a triangle in the middle with the same Eye of Anubis that was on Yugi's Puzzle, along with several points running around the outside of it. "My father brought this back from one of his expeditions." She explained as she let Yugi reach out and touch the somehow cold metal, only for Yugi to pull her hand away when pain spiked up her arm, almost as like a static shock. "Since your pendant has the same symbol on I thought it might be linked to my Millennium Ring."

"I'm pretty sure they are and there's more of them out there." Yugi nodded, convinced of the fact as she remembered that Shadi had held two Millennium Items and had used both against her.

"Mutou-kun..." Bakura hesitated, then shook her head, "No, never mind." She got to her feet and bowed lightly to her, "It was nice meeting you and thank you for looking out for me, but I have to go and get lunch." With that she seemed to almost flee the room.

"I didn't think you were that scary, Yuge." Jou, who had followed them, having not forgotten then events of the previous night, commented as Yugi examined her fingers, able to feel her elder sister's concern at the back of her mind. "Oneesan on the other hand..."

"I don't know what I said." Yugi replied, confused, "But..." A determined look crossed her features, "Excuse me guys." With that she got up and went to catch up to Bakura. She finally managed it when she passed a bathroom and heard Bakura's voice telling someone else to 'get out of her head!'

Oneesan took over and slipped into the bathroom quietly. Having once feared that exact exclamation ever coming from her Imoto-chan, she couldn't help but wonder what the other Bakura was thinking. "Bakura-chan?" She asked as she came around the corner, not wanting to startle the girl, only to come face to face with a narrow eyed, wilder haired version of the girl she was looking for.

"Are you stalking me Mutou-kun?" Bakura's features seemed to soften as Oneesan looked at her, though the smirk looked out of place, reminding her less of the student her little sister had been talking to and more of the girl who had vanished Hirutani last night.

"I wanted to thank you for last night." Oneesan shrugged, pretty sure that the Bakura in front of her now was the same as the one who had helped her. "I'm still not sure what I would have done about the body."

"Probably dumped it somewhere horrendously impractical." Bakura snorted, "Don't worry, it won't show up again."

"Bakura." Oneesan hesitated for a moment, causing the other girl to give her an amused look, "What do you know about the Millennium Items, besides what you said in the library."

"Look, why don't you come over tonight and we can discuss a few things." Bakura looked thoughtful as she considered Oneesan carefully. Oneesan just nodded, not sure what to say and not wanting to seem too eager. Bakura pulled pen and paper out of her backpack and wrote an address on it. "We'll play a game and I'll tell you what I know, okay?"

Oneesan glanced at the door, where Anzu was waiting just out of sight of Bakura, "Is it alright if I bring my friends with me?" She asked, well aware they would follow her even if she didn't ask Bakura's permission.

"Sure." If anything Bakura seemed to want a bigger crowd, "I have no issue with that. Just don't come over till about six. I need time to set up after all."

Oneesan nodded her agreement and then stepped aside, allowing Yugi control of the body again. The light paused for a moment and considered Bakura carefully as she tried to decide whether to speak up or not, then she gave Bakura a sheepish smile and asked, "Bakura no Oneesan? Can I speak to the other you now please?"

Bakura started, staring at her for a moment before smiling slightly, amusement obvious, "Bakura no Oneesan?" She asked.

"I don't know your name." Yugi was apologetic, "So..."

"I answer to Bakura, same as my Landlord." The spirit of the Ring answered, "It's close enough to my real name that it makes no difference."

"Alright." The holder of the Puzzle nodded, "Can I speak to the other Bakura please?"

She didn't get an audible response, instead Yugi felt something 'shift' and then she was being watched with wide eyes, "You're okay? You're not..." The girl in front of her gasped.

"I'm fine but I think we need to talk." Yugi replied, guiding her out of the bathroom.

"But..."

"Don't worry." Yugi smiled at her, "I think I know what you're going through. I can help."

"You don't understand." Bakura pulled away from her, fear obvious on her features, "Everyone I made friends with, everyone who played games with me ended up unconscious. It happened at every school I went to. I won't let it happen here too, so stay away from me."

Bakura went to leave but Yugi stepped into her path. "I know what it's like to be afraid of something you can't control. Something that happens and leaves you with a gap in your memories and consequences for something you don't understand." Yugi told her, "I have another self too. But Anesan and I work together now. I'm sure, if you give her a chance, you'll be able to do the same with your other self."

"I don't want to." Bakura shook her head, backing up a bit, "I just want... just leave me alone." With that she brushed past Yugi and Anzu and darted out of the bathroom.

"Are you still going tonight?" Anzu asked Yugi after a few moments of silence.

"The other Bakura knows something about the Millennium Items. It could link to Anesan's past, so yeah. I'm going." The girl nodded.

"Okay, then we'd better tell the guys to watch out." Anzu sighed, cutting Yugi off before she could protest, "You really think we'll let you go alone?"

"No." Yugi sighed. "I just..."

"You and Oneesan don't lose." Anzu grinned at her, confidence showing, "And we already know bad things only happen if we cheat or lose."

"Just...be careful, please?"

"Of course."

* * *

 

The gang gathered at Yugi's place and headed downtown to the address that Bakura's Other Self had given Yugi. It wasn't a particularly fancy place, in fact it was a beacon of clean and tidy in an otherwise rundown neighbourhood. None of them were overly bothered by the fact. Jou had regularly haunted worse areas during his gang days and between him, Honda and Oneesan, they were much scarier than anything or anyone they might run into on their way to Bakura's.

The neighbourhood was surprisingly quiet considering the time of day. In fact as they drew closer to Bakura's place it became more obvious that people were trying to avoid the place. It was a bad sign, though of what Yugi wasn't sure. If Bakura had been throwing magic around, it could be fear. However it could just as easily be xenophobia. Bakura was, quite obviously, not from Domino and the Japanese could be remarkably narrow minded about foreigners.

Gaijin people were lazy after all, didn't know the value of hard work and expected everything to be done for them and everything to be provided for them without having to work for it. At least that was what most people believed.

Bakura was waiting for them, answering the door after only a couple of knocks. She ushered them inside, glancing around as she did so. After taking off their shoes, they found themselves ushered straight through to the living room where an intricate game board was set up.

"Monster World!" Yugi's face lit up as she examined the world that had been set up for them to play in. She had a few bits and pieces for the table top rpg setting, but she couldn't afford this sort of set up and Bakura seemed quite happy for her to poke about, examining the board and the terrain pieces, though she did ask that Yugi didn't touch the figures. They were set up for the story after all and she would get a better look as the game went on.

"You need to roll up your characters." Bakura informed them, passing them some character sheets, "If you need a hand building, I'm more than willing to lend you some. Just remember you won't need anything fancy. This is just a one shot campaign after all. Of course who knows, you might end up sticking with the character after the story's over depending on how well you get into the role."

Yugi scanned the rules of character creation quickly, already well aware of the system and how it worked, paying more attention to Bakura's explanation of the rules then her character sheet as she jotted down a level one version of what would have been her character if she had ever actually started a campaign.

"I'm taking the role of D.M. or Dark Master." Bakura explained, "I run the world, the story and the enemy monsters. My role is to stop you lot, the Adventurers, from continuing on your quest. In the mean time you Adventurers work together as a team, working together to beat the Dark Master. If I defeat all of you I win. If you find the 'boss monster' and kill him, you win. Simple as that."

"So we get to kill things?" Jou looked pleased by that, especially after the last few days.

"You cut right to the point." Bakura nodded.

"So what classes and races are there?" Anzu asked, scanning the basic character creation rules Bakura had kindly typed up for them in advance.

"Yuge's already made hers." Jou snatched up the character sheet Yugi had filled in, "Huh, Birdtail BeastTamer?" He glanced at her.

"Each race has different abilities." Yugi nodded, noting that Bakura had pulled a generic birdtail race character out of a box by her side and started making adjustments to it, "Birdtails can fly and have both high dexterity and charisma, so I'll be able to scout long distances, I'll be hard to hit and it should be easier to get people talking. And I want to be a BeastTamer so I can get enemy monsters to work with us, instead of having to fight them."

"Heh." Jou chuckled, "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because unlike you, you knucklehead," Honda interrupted, "Yugi doesn't need to punch things to get her point across."

"Boys." Anzu tutted at them as she jotted down her Elf Magician's stats and equipment. "Behave, we're guests here."

"You should totally be a Pixie-Fairy."Jou ignored her in favour of taunting Honda, "Totally suits you."

"I'll give you Pixie-Fairy." Honda threatened, writing down Human as his race before Jou could try anything. "Now, let's see those classes."

The boys quickly decided on what characters they were building, Jou a Human Warrior, Honda a Human MagicGunman, and after spending ten minutes convincing Jou that spending all of his starting money on six different weapons, three of which his class couldn't use, was a bad idea they were handed a figure each by Bakura.

"Wow!" Jou was startled as Yugi examined the female Birdtail piece in her hands. "They look just like us!"

They did, Yugi had to allow. Her Birdtail kind of reminded her of the Harpie Ladies from Duel Monsters, but it had the BeastTamer's basic armour on and her face in place of the blank, impersonalised models. Bakura had even managed to get her three tone hair colour just right with a little fast drying paint.

"Yes, I pride myself on detail." Bakura smirked at them, seeming pleased with their reactions. Yugi couldn't help but glance over, finally making up her mind, when she saw the smirk, which Bakura was out and about, "It helps the immersion if you can visualise yourself in the role you're acting out on the board. Now, just let me tap the information into my laptop here..." She proceeded to do so. "The numbers in this computer will make a huge difference in a life or death situation." Bakura explained, "And as D.M. I will make the crucial rolls."

They put their pieces on start at Bakura's direction and sat back to let the D.M. weave the story. Yugi could feel Oneesan at the back of her mind, her emotions coming down the link clearly, making Yugi aware she was partly curious about the game and partly impatient to hear any information Bakura might have.

"You Adventurers have just arrived in the land of Abydos." Bakura spoke, her tone taking on the lilt of a storyteller just getting into their tale. "Having travelled a long way, the sight of the local town and the nearby castle is welcome."

That was a plot hook if ever Yugi had heard one. "I say we make for town." Yugi spoke up, getting the weird feeling that Bakura was watching her closely, even though when she glanced over at the D.M. she seemed to be absorbed in her screen.

"Why not the castle?" Jou asked, sizing it up as if considering it for a raid.

"Because in video games you always get information in towns." Anzu pointed out, "Castles are normally for later on."

"You actually play video games?" Jou asked with a small, amused smirk.

"RPG's mostly." Anzu admitted, "And only rarely. I have to keep my grades up if I ever want a scholarship after all."

"Huh, the more you know." Jou chuckled, "Okay, town it is."

Yugi scouted ahead, trying to get a feel for the 'flight' rules before the story officially started, which meant her movement was double the distance that the ground bound races could cover per round. It took the others five turns to reach the city by which point she had already she had already given the town a look over and decided that their best source of information was probably the tavern. A feeling her friends shared.

They watched in amazed delight as Bakura carefully took the 'village' off of the board to reveal a tavern set up below, complete with barkeeper, patrons, tables and chairs.

Jou, of course, was the one who went straight to the heart of the matter, stepping his Warrior up to the bar and asking the barkeeper a simple question, "What's the best way to make money round here?"

"Well," Yugi gave Bakura a startled glance as the 'barkeeper' spoke, only to find that she couldn't catch Bakura moving her lips or throwing her voice, her ventriloquism act was perfect, "There aren't many jobs in town for strangers such as yourself, but we have been looking for some vi...Adventures to rid us of a problem."

"Oh?" Anzu's Magician asked, noting the slip up and wary. "And what's that?"

"There's a Dark Lord, goes by the name of Zorc, who holds rule over this land. He and his monsters make it hard, if not impossible to get food and other essentials in and out of this land." The Barkeeper explained. "There's a large reward offered for anyone who's brave enough to enter the castle and rid us of Zorc forever."

"There's our 'boss' monster." Honda muttered.

Yugi nodded distractedly, trying to shake the feeling the voice that was speaking was actually coming from the figurine and not from Bakura. Her earlier delight tempered by the steadily increasing feeling of something being wrong and the headache that had started up the moment Bakura had started weaving the tale.

She felt the mental equivalent of a hand on her shoulder and the headache eased up, making Yugi smile slightly even as she watched Jou's Warrior almost get into a bar fight with a couple of the other patrons after accusing the towns people of being chickens for letting 'Zorc' and his monsters run all over them.

" _If you want to play...?"_ Yugi thought, knowing Anesan couldn't hear her but directing curiosity at the spirit and mentally taking a half step back. Her elder sister responded with amusement and by mentally shoving her forward again, obviously not wanting to take over from her when Yugi had wanted to play the Monster World RPG for years but had lacked the players to do so.

Before she could say anything, Jou had gotten the party caught up in the quest and they were leaving town. Yugi's Beast Tamer stuck close to the party, her player loath to leave her friends behind when she couldn't shift the 'wrong' feeling.

After tackling a couple of weak, low level monsters and getting a feel for the battle system, the proceeded down the main road out of town, towards Zorc's castle. A little ways out of town, they found a young man led, injured, in the middle of the road. Anzu's Magician used a healing spell to help the injured traveller as the rest of the group gathered close by.

"Thank you." The young man said, his eyes the only part of him they could see and his outfit reminding Yugi of Shadi, "I would have been in big trouble if you hadn't come this way. You see I was attacked in the forest and the monsters there stole the treasure I was carrying."

"Treasure?" Jou perked up, causing Honda to roll his eyes.

"I was on my way to give it to the hero of the village." The young man continued, "The treasure is a holy sword! It's the only thing that can defeat Zorc! Please, I beg you, get back the treasure."

Yugi frowned slightly. An NPC like the young man was a character added into the story by the D.M., they could be an ally, or they could lead them into a trap. Besides she knew it was a one shot campaign, but getting them a weapon to defeat the 'boss' this early seemed too easy.

"Didn't one of those villagers say something about avoiding the forest?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah." Honda agreed, "Just before Jou nearly got into a brawl with them."

"I lose my Dexterity bonus in the forest." Yugi piped up, something about the whole situation screaming 'trap' to her.

"You do?" Jou asked, surprised.

"She does." Bakura agreed, seemingly amused by something, "Forests are no fly zones, as are small, indoor rooms and mazes."

"We'll protect you, Yuge." Jou promised, thumping his chest and reminding her of an over excitable puppy, "Right Honda?"

Honda nodded shortly, wondering when his friend had gone quite so treasure mental.

"See Yuge?" Jou grinned at her, "No problems. Just stick close, okay?"

When Yugi nodded, Jou turned to Bakura, "Okay, we'll go."

"Okay," Part of the diorama flipped over to reveal a forest, "You walk until you get to the forest. Tall, thick grass coats the floor and shadowy leaves surround you." Bakura smirked slightly, "Just a warning. The encounter rate here is eighty percent."

"Eighty?" Anzu yelped.

"Judgement roll." Bakura chuckled, rolling a pair of dice, one blue, one red. The red one stopped on zero while the blue spun around to five. "Not good for the adventurers at all." Bakura spoke, "Red is the tens and blue the ones. The closer to zero I roll, the stronger the monsters I can pit against you."

Four monster figurines were put on the forest squares of the board opposite the player characters. "Remember," Bakura said as she put them in place, "You need to roll under the success rate to land a blow. The closer you get to double zero, the super critical, the more damage you do."

"Okay," Jou grinned, scooping up the dice, "I get first swing." He rolled the dice, only to let out a groan when he rolled an eighty-two.

"Too bad." Bakura chuckled, "Jou doesn't just miss his target, he trips and falls on his face." With that she tipped the little model over so it was on its front.

"Aw man." Jou grouched.

"Leave it to me." Honda chuckled, rolling and scoring a twenty one. His Gunman's shot took out the weakest of the monsters and Yugi's twenty four a moment later allowed her Monster Taming abilities to work on a second beast, making it an ally.

"Okay," Anzu grinned, picking up the dice as Bakura switched a model of an evil ball of teeth and claws with a much friendlier looking puffball, "My turn." She rolled and let out a started and delighted cheer as the dice landed on a double zero, her attack blowing up the two remaining monsters.

"Aww." Jou half mockingly sulked, "I didn't get a go."

"Next time, Jou." Yugi reassured her friend, pausing when an evil chuckling started, almost seeming to come from over her shoulder.

The young man on the board was the source of the noise and all four of them stared down at him as he started cackling.

"I think he's snapped." Jou commented.

"So you four are the heroes who would defy me?" The young man sniggered, "You fell for my trap and entered the Forest of the Dead. This will be your grave!"

"Who in the world are you?" Yugi asked, half surprised, half thinking 'called it.'

"What's this?" Bakura asked, obviously delighted by events, "The young man changes before your very eyes, shifting and warping and growing until he towers above the trees." She swapped the models.

"I'm the Lord of these lands." The beast the young man had become stated, "The Dark Master, Zorc!" Yugi's heart sank. There was no way they were ready for this particular encounter. Not unless Zorc was the weakest boss monster ever. "And before you die, I should let you know. There is no sword that can beat me!"

"The Adventurers, completely deceived by his lies are caught unawares and Zorc gets the first attack." Bakura cackled, rolling the dice, scoring zero. "Super Critical! His Shadow Powers assault the players, and his target is you, Anzu! Mind Doll!"

Yugi and her friends were startled as Anzu collapsed on the side of the table, only for Anzu's voice to start coming from the miniature on the table. "G...guys?" Anzu was terrified, "How did you get so big?"

"What the...?" Honda yelped.

Yugi got it though and she turned to glower at Bakura, Oneesan bristling and ready to take over in a heartbeat and deal with this upstart. "Bakura!" Yugi snapped, "What did you do to Anzu?"

"What did I do?" Bakura asked, amused by their reactions and resting her chin on interlocked fingers, "I'm the Game Master. I just followed the rules to keep the game going but just to let you know, the game you're playing is the ultimate in role playing games."

"So to get Anzu back all we gotta do is win, right?" Jou demanded, scooping up the dice, "Fine..."

"No!" Yugi yelped, realising what he was about to do, "It's not your turn and it's a Shadow..."

She was too late, Jou's dice rolled across the table and landed on ninety-nine.

"...Game."

"Ahem." Bakura looked a lot less amused now as she glowered at Jou, "It wasn't your turn to attack. Not only is your roll the worst possible, but your gaming etiquette is atrocious. To roll without the Game Master's permission is to break the rules, so prepare yourself."

"Shit!" Jou had just enough time to yelp before his soul joined Anzu's on the game board, sealed within his character piece.

"Jou!" Yugi looked down, biting her lower lip, trembling with both anger and fear, "Anzu!"

"Sorry, Yuge." Jou apologised, realising that he had just made things much harder and that they were now down two players in a Shadow Game they hadn't even known they were in until this moment. "What should we do?"

"Careful, Yugi." Bakura answered, taunting her, "If you and Honda become miniatures too, no one will be able to roll the dice. If that happens the game ends automatically and you four will be trapped forever. Doomed to be pieces in my games for eternity. Hahahaha!"

Yugi growled slightly as Bakura started cackling, startling her friends.

"Yugi!" Jou called up, startling the girl in question into looking down at the board. "Roll the dice in our place."

"That's fine with me." Bakura continued to cackle, "But first it's the MagicGunman's turn."

"That's fine with me!" Honda snapped at her, well aware they were in well over their heads and the only one who really understood exactly what was going on was Yugi.

"There's just one thing. With Zorc on the field, you have to roll at the start of each of your turns to see if you're effected by the paralysing fear that Zorc's aura creates."

"I'm not scared of you!" Honda growled.

"That's for the dice to say." Bakura tutted at him. "Let them go and let's see."

Honda might deny his fear, but Yugi could see it etched on his features as he gulped and then released the dice. "Ninety-four!? This roll is stupid!" Honda yelped, staring at the dice, panic obvious.

"The MagicGunman is frozen in fear." Bakura's grin was somehow more unsettling than the smirks that had graced her features earlier, "He curses his cowardice."

"You dirty..."

"Now, Zorc wins initiative." Bakura interrupted what was sure to be an expletive filled rant, "Shadow Power!" Bakura rolled, scoring another super critical, causing Yugi's anger to further rise.

Bakura was cheating! Bakura was cheating in a Shadow Game and the Shadows were letting her get away with it!

"What did you do to the dice?" She demanded of the other Shadow wielder.

Bakura didn't answer, just flicked her fingers at Honda, who collapsed alongside the others, his soul transferred into his figurine.

"Honda!" Anzu yelped.

"No. This isn't fair! I wasn't afraid!" Honda protested.

"Well Yugi, it's only you left." Bakura informed the Puzzle holder, seeming pleased by that. "You must roll the dice, move the pieces and make the decisions all on your own and before I forget, if the health of an Adventurer hits zero, they die. Not just in game, but in real life too, so be careful with the lives of your friends."

"You can do it, Yugi!" Jou called up, noting the fear that was now crossing her features.

"Yeah!" Honda nodded, trying to reassure her. "You can kill him!"

"Guys..." Yugi bit her lower lip for a moment, she didn't lose in a fair game, but this wasn't a fair game and she was afraid. Afraid she would cost one of her friends their lives, afraid she would screw up so badly someone wouldn't survive.

"The battle continues." Bakura wasn't about to give her any time to think, as the Game Master spoke again before Yugi could say a thing, "The MagicGunman gets one more chance to attack Zorc."

Yugi knew she wasn't the right person to handle this. She wasn't confident enough in her abilities and she didn't know how to handle Bakura's cheating. The others were afraid too, their fear would taint her rolls further if emotions really were a driving factor in what rolls they were getting. Then a thought came to her.

She didn't know how to handle the Shadows and Bakura's tricks, but Anesan could deal with both and she could sense her older sister was ready and rearing to tear into Bakura for her actions.

And if she joined her friends on the field, it might reassure them. Especially when she reminded them of the promise she had made Jou.

"Before the Gunman rolls, Bakura." Yugi faced down the D.M., "Transfer my soul to my miniature too."

"What did you say?" Bakura looked shocked, making Yugi wonder just how much attention she paid to what was said around her other self. "You _want_ to be transferred to your miniature?"

"Yugi?"

"What're you doing?"

"I'll fight together with my friends on board!" Yugi ignored her friends' protests as she continued to stare Bakura down. "If they're risking their lives, then so will I!"

"It would be easy to grant that wish." Bakura still looked confused, "But if you become a miniature, there will be no one left to roll the dice. Are you sure this is what you want?"

Yugi nodded, even as her friends' protests grew louder.

"Well..." Bakura looked thoughtful, "The Game Master is supposed to be of service to the players. Very well, I'll do as you say." Bakura smirked, "I was hoping for more of a challenge from you after waiting all this time, but beggars can't be choosers, I win!"

"No!" Jou watched in horror as Yugi collapsed and suddenly her miniature started moving of its own accord, examining itself. "Yugi, you promised! You swore you wouldn't throw your life away!"

"And I'm keeping that promise." Yugi smiled at him, "Don't worry."

"Of course he should worry." Bakura cackled, "With no one left to roll the dice, it's a perfect victory for me!"

"Not quite."

Bakura jumped and stared at the other side of the board where Yugi's body was sitting up, scowling at her as it did so.

"Are you okay, Imoto-chan?" The body asked, worried.

"Just fine, Anesan." Yugi nodded back, beaming. "Let's do this."

"Right." Oneesan nodded, amused by Bakura's shock, "I believe the MagicGunman was about to attack." She rolled, "Three." She smirked, "Honda?" She asked.

Honda smirked and fired his gun at the seemingly now living model of Zorc. His Thunder Grenade bullet blowing off Zorc's hand.

"I told you, horn face, with my friends helping me, who'd be afraid." Honda smirked.

"Another Yugi..." Bakura realised.

"Don't worry guys." Oneesan looked smug, "From now on your lives are in my hands. And so is Zorc's."


	27. Or Maybe Not

"Nice shooting!" Jou grinned, high-fiving Honda.

Bakura ignored the characters in favour of watching the other player. This wasn't Yugi, her soul was in the Birdtail figure on the table. So who was this? Yugi had called this new spirit 'Anesan.' That thought brought something Yugi had said to her to the forefront of her mind.

"Yugi no Oneesan, I presume?" Bakura asked irritably, having been so focused on victory, she had forgotten about the other spirit.

"Bakura-san." Oneesan nodded, irritation obvious, "I wanted information, not my friends stuffed into lead figurines."

"It's just Bakura." The other Millennium spirit corrected, "And I don't know, they look better like that." Bakura smirked at her, "And now you're the only one in that body. You should be grateful."

"I'd rather share this vessel with its rightful owner for a thousand years than steal it away from her for even a moment." Oneesan scowled, "I was happy to sit back and let Imoto-chan play, even when I realised there was more going on here than just a game. But you attacked our friends and sealed her soul into her figurine so now you have to deal with me."

"She was sealed at her own request, I will remind you." Bakura tutted at her opposite number, "Do you think you can handle the pressure of having the lives of your 'sister' and your friends in your hands where she couldn't?"

"I don't lose so their lives are in no danger." Oneesan informed Bakura, who smirked slightly, enjoying the game even more with someone facing her who wasn't even slightly cowed by the powers at work.

"Then let the game continue." Bakura crowed, the Shadows in full swing now, bringing the board and figurines on it to life properly. Oneesan felt her little sister balk to start with, as the Shadows first moved, and braced Imoto-chan's mind, glad she was able to do that despite the separation.

Yugi looked up at Oneesan and smiled gratefully, not saying a word about the issue to her friends in order to help them keep calm.

"It's a new round of combat." Bakura informed them, "And though he just lost his hand, Zorc looks almost uninjured. Plus things are looking worse for the Adventurers." As she said that the hand shifted and split, taking the form of two monsters.

"Any piece of my flesh cut from my body transforms into monsters under my control!" Zorc informed them, sounding smug. "Minions. Deal with them, I grow bored."

He turned to leave and Yugi stepped forward, wanting this over as soon as possible. "Are you running away?" She demanded, "Stand and fight us!"

"I have a special place set up for our final battle." Zorc informed her, "Make your way to my castle while the fires of hate still burn within you, if you can." With that he took off, flying ahead to the castle.

"Jerk! Creep! Power Gamer!" Jou roared insults after him, "Just wait! We'll get to the castle no matter what it takes!"

" _We're playing right into Bakura's script."_ Yugi mentally grimaced, _"We really are stuck in her game world."_

' _You're right.'_ Yugi jumped a mile and wheeled around to look up at her elder sister, shocked when she heard Oneesan's voice echoing in her mind, _'Bakura made Zorc appear when your guard was down, then she was able to seal your souls into figurines. Everything's gone according to her plan. She's a Game Master to watch out for.'_

" _I think she's cheating."_ Yugi informed her elder sister, needing to warn her. _"Whenever she rolls she gets a critical."_

' _I know.'_ Oneesan replied, delighted that she could finally talk to her little sister outside of the soul rooms despite the situation. _'And I can stop her.'_ She felt her sister's relief at that and her grin widened slightly.

"Warrior." Bakura looked down at Jou, "It's your turn to attack."

"Let me at her, Oneesan." Jou glanced up at the spirit of the Puzzle, his fear easing in the face of the sheer unshakeable confidence that Oneesan was projecting and the faith Yugi had that her elder sister would get them out of this. Instead embarrassment started to take hold instead, making him wish he hadn't yelled at Yugi.

"Don't forget, Yugi." Bakura called, "You roll a fumble and that character dies."

Oneesan was unfazed, confident smirk on her features as she spun the dice out of her hand. The lack of fear was rewarded by a super critical which allowed Jou to wipe out one of the monsters.

Bakura seemed stunned for a moment, staring across the board at the other spirit. Then she shook herself out of it, tapping something on the laptop as she did. "The remaining monster is shocked at the ease in which you took down his ally and loses his action. Which means it's the Monster Tamer's turn."

Yugi nodded, understanding and looked up at Oneesan. _"I need to make as many allies as possible before we reach Zorc's castle."_ She spoke to Oneesan directly. Her Other Self nodded in agreement.

"Beast Hand Power!" Yugi announced, focusing the odd power she could feel gathering around her at the proclamation, power that felt different from the energy that normally swirled around her but seemed to jump at her call.

"Until moments ago, the Zorc Arm Dragon was part of Zorc. You only have a ten percent chance of getting it to change sides." Bakura chuckled, certain that there was no way they could roll that low and that the little Yugi's power was almost useless.

" _Only ten percent?"_ Yugi mentally gulped, _"That means I have to roll less than ten or I fail..."_ She glanced over her shoulder, saw Oneesan nod to her, reassurance surging over the link, and took a deep breath, _"I trust Oneesan. And she WILL roll what I need to do this."_ She let the power flow.

The dice spun out of Oneesan's hand, the red coming to a stop on an eight, making Yugi flinch. Then something seemed to make the ground below them jump slightly, startling Yugi into taking flight, and the blue die, which was still spinning hit the red one, setting it going again.

"One of the many ways of cheating with dice," Oneesan chuckled at Bakura's astounded and slightly furious expression as Yugi landed in time for the dice to come to a stop, their value totalling two, "The double hit technique. The same class as your 'run of criticals,' Bakura."

With the roll totalling two, Yugi was able to bring the dragon under her command, giving her a second monster that could help her out in battle. Her puffball babbled at the dragon, who promised to help out its new master.

"Wait," Jou looked confused as he turned to face the spirit of the Puzzle, "You cheated? I thought you couldn't cheat in a Shadow Game."

"Bakura's been doing it since the beginning." Oneesan replied, "It's possible to control the way the dice fall. She's been doing it to get all of her critical rolls."

Bakura let out a low growl. She had but she hadn't expected someone to be able to do it back.

"Too bad, Bakura." Oneesan chuckled at the reaction she got, "If you can cheat, I can too. Shadow Games have to be fair, after all."

"Fine." Bakura grumbled, "From now on spinning is prohibited, the only way we're allowed to roll dice is like this." She let the dice slide off her hand and, letting them fall without any tricks involved.

"I'll agree to that." Oneesan nodded, still amused that she had shut down Bakura's cheating so effectively.

"The next time you cheat, you should get turned into a figurine too!" Jou snapped at Bakura, turning to glower at the D.M.

"Let's continue the game." Bakura ignored him, further angering the boy trapped in the Warrior's figurine. "After dealing with Zorc's minions, the Adventures continue on to the gates of Zorc's castle."

' _This is where the real fight begins.'_ Oneesan thought, frowning slightly as Jou took point and pushed open the doors, glad that the moment they had left the forest, Imoto-chan had regained her Dexterity bonus, making her harder to hit. _'At least the fight is fairer now.'_

" _I'm not sure it's fair yet."_ Yugi sent back, following her friends through the gate warily. _"With how little damage we did to it, I have a horrible feeling that Zorc's far above our encounter level."_

' _Even if it is, there has to be a way to beat it.'_ Oneesan replied, confidence unshaken and reassuring her little sister despite her certainty that she was correct in her assumptions. _'The Shadows are allowing her to cheat, but they're bending for us just as much. I'll find the backdoor and get you all back to your bodies safely.'_

" _I know you will."_ Imoto-chan's confidence in her helped bolster her confidence. She wouldn't let her little sister down. Ever.

Just as they went to step into the castle grounds, the diorama opened up, revealing a tower and a throne.

"Alright Zorc!" Jou demanded as he stepped forward first, "Come out and show yourself, you coward!"

Bakura just sniggered at the boy. His impatience would be his downfall. "There's no sign of Zorc." She informed them, "Nor is there any of his minions."

"That tower looks suspicious." Honda pointed out, unable to see the throne from his position on the board.

"Well let's go check it out then." Jou nodded, trying to herd the others towards it, only for Yugi to hang back when she saw there was a carving on a stone pillar in the middle of the room. The knee high pillar had two half hoops on and it looked like the upper half was missing.

"Guys, I think it's a..."

"You worry too much." Jou pulled her towards the tower, only for Yugi to shake him off and take off, getting out of his reach and looking frustrated.

"Jou, please listen to me, at least once." She pleaded, "That pillar looks like it's a trap."

Jou paused. Yugi didn't plead for anything normally and she had been right about the game, right about the forest being a bad idea and right about letting Oneesan take over for her. She was most likely right here too. Plus he kind of felt guilty for ignoring her when she had been trying to help them the whole way through. It was just easy to overlook Yugi when her older, cooler sister was guiding them through the game.

"Alright." He nodded to the temporary Birdtail, stepping back. When he heard a sharp, frustrated hiss of breath that sounded like it came from Bakura, he realised that he had made the right decision. Yugi came down again, landing with relief obvious on her features as her friends moved away from the obvious trap.

Bakura scowled down at the scene. The little Yugi was proving to be more of a bother than she had expected. Everything had been playing out as she had hoped it would until the girl had intervened. She suspected that if she wanted to win this game, she was going to have to rid herself of the nuisance.

"Judgement roll." Bakura's sudden call caught all of their attention, the D.M. rolling without giving them warning for what she was rolling for.

The Adventurers couldn't see the roll, but Oneesan could and the twenty eight that landed on the board caused her to let out a low growl as Bakura started cackling.

"Zorc emerges from the castle!" She crowed, the great demon appearing in a cloud of purple light and smoke, "And he wins initiative! Forty three!"

Yugi had just enough time to let out a started yelp before Zorc's huge hand cut through the air and slammed into her, sending her crashing into the stairs leading up to the throne.

"Imoto-chan!" Oneesan stood, her sister's pain echoing through her, her game face giving way temporarily to fear as Yugi let out a pained groan and slowly pushed herself sitting, a dazed expression on her features.

"Not the best number, but good enough for a slow, painful death." Bakura smirked at the spirit of the Puzzle, blessing her luck. When she had gone for a walk last night, she had not expected to come across someone who was entrenched in Shadows and could lead her to the girl who had been wandering around with a Millennium Item on display.

That the girl was a fool who didn't seem to remember who she was had been a blessing in disguise. She had walked straight into her Shadow Game and now, though Bakura had originally called the Game to test the other girl, to see if three thousand years had left her abilities rusty, it now looked like she was going to be able to wipe out the Pharaoh and take the Millennium Puzzle for herself.

She just had to win the game and from the way the spirit of the Puzzle had recoiled when her 'little sister' had been hit, Bakura had a strong feeling that if she wiped out the little Yugi, the big one would go with her, winning her the game and leaving her with three new game pieces for her host.

"I should have gotten a roll to dodge that!" Oneesan snarled at Bakura, glowering at the smug witch who had just taken almost half of her sister's health points in one, underhanded, blow, "Imoto-chan's Dexterity means she should have been able to escape from that!"

"I'm the Game Master, not you." Bakura retorted, smirking, "And I rolled for her dodge. She failed, obviously."

Oneesan let out a low growl. Bakura was cheating again - the sneaky, underhanded witch.

"I'm okay." Yugi's voice wavered slightly, but she managed to get to her feet, smiling around at her friends, who looked reassured by the ease of which she got up.

"Hey, Peabrain!" Jou snarled, causing Bakura to look at him, "You were so focused on Yuge, you forgot about us!" He launched an attack on Zorc's unprotected back. On a roll of fifteen, his blade caused Zorc to cry out as a slash opened up across Zorc's back.

Bakura grimaced momentarily before speaking up, "Indeed," She agreed, "Any Adventurer who is behind Zorc gets a free attack this round." Which meant everyone bar Yugi. "Starting with the MagicGunman."

"Let me kill him!" Honda demanded of Oneesan, who nodded, able to feel Honda's anger channelling through her and into the dice. The critical that she rolled allowed Honda to do heavy damage and Anzu's free strike was a super critical that should have sent the giant monster sprawling.

Except...

Bakura cackled as the smoke from Anzu's attack cleared only to reveal Zorc didn't look like he had more than a few surface wounds.

"After all those criticals?" Jou protested. "Nothing?!"

"Fools!" Bakura continued to cackle, "You are still apprentices. Level one Adventurers! You don't have the experience to defeat Zorc!"

"Th...Then, there isn't any way for us to win!" Yugi realised, taking a step back, her leg touching the rubble she had caused when she had slammed into the stairs, causing her to look over her shoulder at it.

"You dirty, cheating bitch!" Jou snarled up at Bakura.

"I'm not cheating." Bakura sniggered, "I'm the Dark Master, I made everything in this game world! I am the rules! I AM the monsters! I AM the GOD!"

Oneesan let out a low growl. So that was why the Shadows were letting her get away with everything. Bakura made the rules. She couldn't be cheating and breaking them if she was making them as she went along.

' _The game was rigged from the moment we sat down.'_ Oneesan's thought crossed the link, causing Yugi to look up at her.

" _We can do this. There has to be a way for us to do this."_ Yugi sent back, praying she wasn't wrong.

"Now, the battle continues." Bakura crowed, "You can at least act out your deaths gracefully." She paused to consider something in her case, "You know, Yugi, I'm disappointed. Three thousand years ago you would have seen right through me before the game even started. You wouldn't have fallen into such an easy, and fatal, trap."

"You knew me?" Oneesan couldn't help but ask, buying time to try and think of some way to save her friends that hadn't already been closed off by the diabolical and deceitful D.M.

"You really don't remember?" Bakura asked, looking surprised.

"I have no memories of my time in Egypt." Oneesan confirmed, trying to get Bakura to talk, "No name, no memories, just the knowledge Shadi passed on when he was here."

"Ha, like Shadi knew anything." Bakura snorted, watching her carefully, like she was a puzzle to assemble or a cadaver to dissect. "What 'truths' did he bother to pass on?" She asked her, curiosity piqued.

Oneesan wasn't going to complain, she could feel Yugi's mind working almost as fast as her own could to work through the problem while she kept Bakura from killing her friends. "I was a Pharaoh back in Egypt." She replied, watching Bakura who nodded at that, "And I gave my life and soul to stop the demon armies of the Thief Ki..."

"The Thief King was a pathetic worm who had no brain, no power and no idea of how to deal with you or your priests." Bakura interrupted, a scowl of distaste making their way across her features, "It was I who led those armies, not him. He wouldn't have been able to lead a thirsty camel to water."

"I'm just telling you what I was told." Oneesan shrugged, getting the feeling that Bakura would talk more about it if she let her. "What's the true story?"

"Does it matter?" Bakura asked, turning back to her case, "You'll be dead soon anyway."

"Consider it a last request." Oneesan replied, though she had no intention of letting Bakura kill her or her friends, "After three thousand years I want the truth before I die."

"Shadi was full of crap." Bakura snorted, picking out a pair of dice, "You were a Pharaoh, yes. And you were a good one, unlike your bastard of a father. But the Thief King wasn't the one who you gave your life and soul to seal into the Millennium Items. It wasn't even a demon army. It was me." Bakura smirked slightly, "Just me. Well, myself and one other... my most powerful ally."

"If I was a good Pharaoh, why would you rise against me? Destroy my country?" Oneesan asked, confusion obvious as Yugi darted around to join her friends, still trying to formulate a plan.

"In the past you understood. Now..." Bakura shook her head, "It's almost a shame to have to do this, we were friends once after all, but I'm afraid that friendship won't save you now. You've had your turn and now Zorc turns his wrath on the Adventurers." She rolled the dice.

"No!" Oneesan's heart skipped a beat as the dice landed on double zero. Super Critical.

"Zorc Catastrophe!"

Zorc loosed a huge black ball of power that exploded on contact with the ground, the players, the surroundings, everything. All four Adventurers let out agonised cries that suddenly went terrifyingly silent. Oneesan nearly passed out from the pain herself, needing to lean against the table to remain upright as the Shadows swarmed and the body started failing her.

' _N...No...'_ She thought, still able to sense Yugi's light, though it flickered like a candle barely standing against the harshest breezes, fighting to remain upright, to remain fighting if there was the slightest chance one of her friends had survived the attack. _'Not now...not after all this...'_

"Zorc's magical attack has the power to kill characters with more than fifty hit points!" Bakura smirked, "All of the player characters are dead!"

Oneesan didn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it. She could still sense Imoto-chan's light. She couldn't be gone. Not yet. And her friends... they couldn't be gone. They just couldn't. Not like this. Not after everything they had been through.

Not to some cheating, lying, treacherous bint who changed the rules at every turn.

"Well," Bakura continued, amused as she watched the trembling, barely alive Pharaoh trying to hold on to life in a body that would soon give up on her, "It's pointless but I had better crunch the data. You haven't officially lost until the computer says they're all dead, after all and there's so many variables."

Oneesan just glowered, concentrating on holding on to her little sister's mind as best she could and drawing in breath. Keeping them both alive for another breath, and another, and another. Even if it would soon be all over for them.

"I'll input the data on Zorc's attack power, the die roll, the player's defence, hit points, damage..." She chuckled slightly, "No matter what the result, it'll be less than zer...what?!"

Jou was the first to pick himself up, the Warrior using his sword to help him push himself up off of the ground. Honda wasn't far behind, staggering as he forced himself up. Then the two boys turned to the girls and offered them a hand as Anzu and Yugi pulled themselves to their feet, using the boys as leverage.

"You made it!" Oneesan's delighted, relieved exclamation had them all turn to her, breathing coming easier with panic and despair not strangling her heart. _'I knew it!'_ For all she wanted to sound like she had known their survival had been certain, the relief and cheer in her mental tone told Yugi just how frightened she had been. _'I knew you couldn't be dead! We're the same soul! We're never apart! If you had died, I would die too!'_

" _Right."_ Yugi agreed, smiling at her despite the way she was trembling, exhaustion and pain trying to claim her, _"We're not done yet."_

"How?" Bakura breathed, watching the players rise to their, unsteady, feet and trying to work out how they had managed to survive Zorc's most deadly attack with one health point apiece.

Then she noticed her left hand was typing by itself.

' _WHAT?!'_ She stared at what was being typed up.

"I am Amane Bakura." The note informed her, "I won't let you kill them. I'll fight you too!"

' _Could it be?'_ The ancient spirit of the Ring asked herself, _'My soul is linked to the Zorc miniature in the game world. When the Adventurers cut off Zorc's left hand, somehow, despite me locking her in her soul room, it allowed Amane to control MY left hand.'_

"Dice roll!" She was distracted from her train of thoughts by the other spirit starting her move, rolling an attack for the Warrior that allowed him to stab Zorc in the left eye, blinding her in that eye in real life. "I'll say it one more time, Bakura." Oneesan stared her down, "It's not over yet."

"Yugi," Bakura snarled as she recovered from the pain and shock of the attack, causing both Oneesan and Yugi to look at her. "You're making me mad."

"Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when you're angry." Jou murmured in a low voice, causing Honda to shove him.

' _What in the world is going on?'_ Oneesan frowned, watching Bakura closely, watching the expression on the other spirit's face shift between rage, confusion, frustration and then calm decision. _'I know she made some kind of miscalculation. Not that I'm complaining.'_ Then a thought occurred to her, _'That's it! The game's rigged but if the Game Master makes mistakes...'_ She smirked slightly. _'That's the key!'_

"All right." Bakura snarled, "Back to the game. The Warrior strikes a perfect hit! His sword gouges out Zorc's left eye! However Zorc's hit points are only reduced a fraction!"

"This sucks!" Jou complained, "No matter how many critical we get we can't do Zorc any _real_ damage! He's level fifteen, we're level one!"

"Then how can we defeat Zorc?" Honda demanded.

" _We need to heal the party."_ Yugi thought, knowing Oneesan was listening in, _"Which means we need Anzu's turn to Healing Magic can restore the entire party's hit points, but if Zorc attacks before she can go..."_ Yugi winced slightly.

"Now, according to the initiative scores," The gang froze, waiting to hear who would be moving first. "Anzu gets the first move."

"Oh thank..."

"But Zorc's score is tied with hers so they move at the same time."

"Oh for..." Jou snapped, "How many bloody attacks do you want, you cheating bi..."

"Jou." Oneesan snapped, noting the ugly look that Bakura was giving him. "So how do we settle this?" She asked the D.M.

"We both roll. The one with the lowest score moves first." Bakura explained, watching Oneesan pick up her dice. "If Anzu moves first she can heal you and you might survive the next round. If Zorc moves first it's game over."

"We have to believe in Anesan for this roll." Yugi murmered to her friends and Bakura prepared to roll too.

Both players let the dice roll.

"Ha!" Bakura cackled as her blue die came to a stop on a zero, "Super critical! I win!"

"Our dice..." Yugi turned to look, watching them stop, "Nine..."

"Not low enough!" Bakura cackled, "Zorc goes first and..."

"Are you blind?" Oneesan interrupted her second attempt to wipe out the party with a small, smug smile, "Look at your dice!"

Bakura trailed off as she stared at her dice. "A ten? But that's..." She picked up her dice and Oneesan couldn't help but feel vindicated when shock crossed Bakura's face. She had obviously tried to cheat to win the roll and failed.

"Healing Magic Luona!" Anzu cried, healing the entire party, restoring everyone to half health.

"So you went first, that doesn't mean anything!" Bakura snarled, "Zorc has an eighty percent chance of hitting and if he hits, he damages all of you!" She rolled the dice and both Yugi and Oneesan flinched as they felt something from the dice.

Whatever they were expecting, it wasn't what happened as the dice rolled to a stop on ninety-nine.

"She Fumbled!" Yugi cried out, delighted as Zorc blew himself up, wiping out almost sixty of his own health points and causing Bakura to let out a cry of pain.

"Alright!" Honda cheered.

"Looks like she's not invincible after all!"

Bakura snarled, her expression vicious as she recovered quickly from the Fumble and seized the wrist of her left hand.

"This bloody left hand!" She snarled, glowering at it for a moment before slamming it down on the cones on one of the remaining spires of Zorc's castle, which pierced right through the limb, "How does that feel, Amane Bakura!?" Bakura demanded, cackling like a loon. "How do you like the durable polyresin now!?"

" _Did she just say...?"_ Yugi gasped sharply, staring up at the D.M. who looked a right state as she pulled the hand off of the spire it was impaled on and wrapped a cloth around the bleeding limb.

' _The light must still be in there.'_ Oneesan nodded, _'She's fighting for us...'_

"Hey Yuge?" Jou asked quietly, "Is there any way we can help Bakura?"

"I don't know." Yugi admitted, thinking quickly, "But I have an idea."

"Pay attention, little Yugi." The spirit of the Ring smirked down at her, "It's your turn. Not that you can do much."

"Game Master!" Oneesan spoke up, agreeing with Yugi's plan, "The BeastTamer will try her hand power on Zorc, the Lord of Darkness!"

"You can't be serious!" Bakura looked stunned for a moment before she started cackling again, "Your 'hand power' is a magic power that turns enemies into allies, you really think that would work on Zorc!?"

Yugi just prepared to cast her spell. She wasn't trying to change Zorc. Instead she was hoping to rescue the soul trapped inside him.

"A useless effort." Bakura sniggered, unaware of what was actually being tried, "Zorc would never be _your_ ally, even if it meant the end of the world!"

"Well I'm trying anyway!" Oneesan rolled. On a roll of five the magic training hand appeared.

"Fool!" Zorc sniggered at Yugi, "You'd have to be level one million before you could ever succeed in turning me into an ally. You'll...what!?"

The training hand latched onto something that was emerging from the stump, pulling a person free of the huge demon and placing them in front of Yugi who helped them to their feet.

"Thank you," The white robed girl who had a blue ankh on her hood and tabard, "For saving me. I'm Amane, a level thirteen white wizard. I'm a NPC created by Amane Bakura, please may I join your party?"

"Of course!" Yugi nodded, grinning broadly as her friends cheered at gaining such a powerful ally. "Let's defeat Zorc together."

The Dark Master looked furious as she looked down at the board but she didn't say what was going through her mind as she growled out, "It's still your turn. The MagicGunman goes next."

"He attacks." Oneesan answered, rolling a fifteen that blew a chunk out of the demon that had been giving them so much trouble before.

"How?" Honda looked pleased, but shocked.

"As a Non Player Character, I obey the will of the Other Game Master, Amane Bakura." The White Wizard explained, "I thought it might help, so I lowered Zorc's defences with my white magic."

That was it. That was the backdoor Oneesan had been scrambling to find. Relief coursed through the Pharaoh, echoed through her little sister as they realised in the same moment that it was now possible for them to take down Zorc and win.

"Thank you." Yugi breathed, delight obvious as she grinned at Amane.

"This is the least I can do." The White Wizard replied, smiling back, "You saved me from the darkness of Zorc's heart. Let me fight together with you this time." When Yugi nodded, Amane took point, facing down the damaged demon.

The Dark Master let out a vindictive snigger as Zorc shifted forms, crawling more than walking, a circular emblem appearing on its chest.

"Uh oh." Amane breathed, grimacing slightly.

"What?" Jou demanded, not liking the sound of 'uh oh.'

"That's Zorc's final form. His attack and defence both level up." She replied, "I can lower his defence again, but..."

"Don't get hit." Honda nodded, understanding what she was getting at.

"That'll be difficult considering its Zorc's turn next!" The Dark Master crowed, "His long awaited attack!"

The demon focused his energy, the circular emblem opening to reveal an eye as the Game Master rolled for Zorc's attack.

Double zero. Super Critical. It was all over.

"Zorc Inferno!" The blast of purple light, fire, heat and rage shot towards the party.

"White Magic!" Amane's voice somehow came through clearly over the noise of the attack, "Shining Shield, level thirteen!"

A bright white shield of light appeared over the party, deflecting the blast away from them, Amane giving everything she had to shield the party.

"How long can you last?" Bakura cackled down at her, "You'll be out of magic power before his attack ends!"

Amane was fully aware of that as she was already resorting to converting her health points to magic.

When the attack finally cut off everyone was still standing, though Yugi had to dart forward and catch Amane before she hit the floor. "You risked your life for us."

"Is she alright?" Honda asked, looking around at his friends, who were all back down to anywhere between one and three health points.

"Hang on till my turn." Anzu fussed at the White Wizard, "I'll heal you."

"I...I'll be fine." Amane breathed, down to one health point herself. "But if you have enough power left to heal me, use it to attack." She looked down, obviously kicking herself, "I don't have the power to protect everyone again. If we don't end it this turn, we'll be destroyed."

"I've got her." Honda took Amane from Yugi, leaving the girl free to join in the final assault. "If we're going down now, it's not without a fight."

" _If Zorc's attack and defence power grows when he becomes 'Last Zorc,' why hasn't he done it before?"_ Yugi wondered, confusion only showing slightly as she considered her opponent, trying to work out what had changed between Zorc's transformation and now.

' _Because this is Zorc's final gamble.'_ Oneesan's reply caused Yugi to glance back over her shoulder at her, _'We've pushed him so far, he has no choice. He may be stronger, but in return he's exposed his weak point.'_

" _Weak point?"_ Yugi blinked, turning back to Zorc and seeing the eye that had been revealed in the attack. _"Weak point!"_ She grinned slightly, at least for a moment before she winced as the emblem started to slide back into place, _"It's already closing!"_

"There's the weak point!" Oneesan informed the other players, "The eye of Zorc!"

"It's no good!" Jou protested, "It'll seal up before we can..." He trailed off as Yugi's puffball shoved itself into the hole, preventing the emblem from resealing.

"Poki!" Yugi yelped, shocked. She knew what it was trying to do. Somehow the monster's chirping translated to words in her mind, and it was pleading with them to blow Zorc away, no matter what happened to it.

Yugi shook her head, "Don't worry," She told the monster who was trying to help them, "It's not over yet. An evil soul isn't worth an ounce of the life of a friend," She looked up at her big siser, "Anesan."

"Right." The spirit of the Puzzle nodded, before looking over at the Game Master, "The BeastTamer attacks!" Rolling a two allowed Yugi to summon the training hand which punched straight through Zorc, slamming into the weak point and punching a hole through to the other side, collecting Poki as it did so.

The Game Master nearly collapsed at the table as Jou's attack, a one, allowed him to chop Zorc in two. The demon itself hitting the floor hard.

"We did it!" The Adventures cheered, "We beat Zorc!"

' _No.'_ Oneesan's frustrated denial cut through Yugi's delight, causing the girl to look at her as Zorc continued to move, _'Not yet we haven't.'_

"He's not dead!?" Jou protested, "How?"

"The fact you didn't finish Zorc this turn will be your downfall!" The Dark Master sniggered, "On the next turn you have to roll for initiative again! Yugi!" She pointed at Oneesan, "This is the last die roll! The winner goes first!"

"I'll take you on!" Oneesan swore, picking up the dice to complete the roll of life or death. "I'll put everything I have into these dice, and I will win!"

"Remember, Yugi, you're aiming to be the closest to zero. This roll also determines success, so it will determine who kills who! The moment my roll beats yours, Zorc will self destruct! By destroying all of you, I will be victorious! And if we roll the same number we both die! I blow up at the same time you attack me! Either way I win!"

" _Anesan,"_ Yugi thought at her big sister, _"We're channelling our faith into your hands! Into the dice!"_

' _I can feel it.'_ Oneesan responded, channelling the power that was flowing into her into the dice in her hands. They started glowing and the pair in Oneesan's hand were the only ones. The Dark Master's dice gained glow too, though theirs were more sickly than the ones in the hand of the Pharaoh.

"Let's go!" Bakura cackled, "The roll of life and death!"

Both players chucked the dice up into the air and the Adventurers held their breath as the four d10 landed and bounced until they came settling to a halt.

"Double Zero!" Jou crowed as Oneesan's dice came to a halt, "Super Critical!"

"I knew Oneesan wouldn't fail us."Anzu grinned.

Neither Oneesan or Yugi celebrated yet. The Dark Master's roll hadn't stopped yet and if she rolled the same...

"Hahaha! To roll a super critical at this junction... Yugi! I salute your skill as a gamer!" Bakura sniggered, "But too bad for you, there's no way you're leaving this game alive!"

Her dice came to a halt.

Double Zero.

"Super Critical..." Oneesan's heart sank. She had been so close. So close to getting her little sister and her friends home safely. Done everything she possibly could... And it was over. All over.

Bakura's laughter was crazed and maniacal, "What a cruel strike for you. At the moment where you were sure of victory, only to fall into the jaws of defeat! This was great! This was the best game ever!"

Oneesan didn't respond. There was nothing she could do or say now. Though the game was technically ending in a tie, Bakura would survive this, they wouldn't. And not a word or deed she could say or do would change that now.

She had failed.

"Two Super Criticals!" Bakura continued, "Everyone dies! As the Adventurers leap forward to attack, Zorc explodes taking everyone..." She trailed off as something on the board cracked loudly.

Her dice were shattering.

A fog emerged from the dice, Amane Bakura taking form out of them.

"I refuse to lose anymore friends." The spirit of the girl told the spirit possessing her body, "Even if it means my soul should shatter."

"You'll die!" Bakura seemed scared by that idea, surprising Oneesan who was shocked by the turn of events as it was. "If you do this, you'll die!"

"It'll be worth it to finally put a stop to your games." Amane responded before turning to Oneesan and the players, "Thank you, everyone, thank you for believing in me."

"Bakura! You..." Yugi didn't get to finish what she wanted to say before the dice shattered and Amane's soul went with them.

There was silence for a moment as what had happened sank in, then Oneesan glowered over at the other spirit, whose own light had turned on her, "Super Critical?" She demanded, "I don't see a super critical! No dice, no roll!" Bakura was still too stunned to respond.

A brief glimmer of sympathy jolted through Oneesan, she knew what it felt like to lose the other half of your soul, but this had to end.

"Prepare yourself, Zorc!" She snapped, "Anzu's magic attack!"

"Final Big Bang!" Anzu cried out, channelling everything she had and every bit of rage and distress her friends were feeling into the burst, whichblew Zorc away.

Bakura screamed as Zorc died, agony coursing through her until she fell forward. As Oneesan darted around the table, the rope upon which the Millennium Ring hung snapped of its own accord and the golden artefact fell to the ground.

"Anesan!" Yugi's cry was just as desperate as Oneesan's search for life within Bakura's frame.

"She's gone..." Oneesan breathed, hearing Jou and Honda curse at her words, "She sacrificed her soul for us..."

"No." Amane spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. "My Mistress's soul lives, inside of me."

"H...How?" Yugi asked, praying Amane was right and not quite understanding how that could help now.

"The Mistress created me into this world years ago, channelling her soul, her energy and her emotions into me and through time and her adventures I've grown." Amane explained, "Over time I became a level thirteen White Wizard and now I can pay her back."

"Wow..."

"Since I'm level thirteen, I should be able to send my soul back to the Mistress, even if it means I'll be level one again the next time you meet me." Amane turned to Oneesan, "It's okay though, I want to repay her so I'll need your help. I'm only a game piece. I can't act without a player rolling for me. So please Yugi..."

Oneesan nodded, smiling. They didn't need to look at the dice, they knew the moment it landed it was a Super Critical as Amane started casting her spell.

Though they were sorry that the White Wizard that had helped them defeat Zorc wiped herself out to save her player, it was with great relief that they watched Bakura sit up, confused but happy.

Oneesan started by helping her return the souls of the players on the board to their bodies and then guided her through the process of releasing those who were in the remaining game pieces. It was with joy and sadness that Bakura watched each of those souls go, as some returned to their bodies and others moved on, but she was just happy it was over.

As was the Pharaoh. She had survived her fight with the woman who had tried to kill her and her friends, a woman who had tried to wipe her out three thousand years ago too and now she was just looking forward to getting a good long rest.

They all deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's Season Zero all over. Please keep following me if you like this. The series isn't over by a long stretch of the imagination.


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